The Ghana Health Service, GHS, through the National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP), is set to undertake a nationwide benchmarking and planning exercise aimed at improving the quality of tuberculosis (TB) care for children and adolescents across the country. A letter signed by the Director General of GHS, said the initiative is to assess existing gaps in pediatric TB services and strengthen early detection and treatment interventions for children and adolescents.
The exercise, which is scheduled to run from May to June 2026, is being conducted with technical support from the KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation and in partnership with UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), and other stakeholders in child health and well-being. The GHS noted that children remain particularly vulnerable to tuberculosis infections, with TB cases among children often signaling ongoing and undetected transmission within communities. The statement explained that diagnosing TB in children remains challenging due to factors including low clinical suspicion, limited training among healthcare workers, inadequate diagnostic tools, and symptoms that often resemble other childhood illnesses.
It added that many affected children initially seek care at primary or specialized health facilities where diagnostic capacity for TB is limited, highlighting the urgent need to strengthen service delivery and improve early detection strategies. As part of the assessment, selected health facilities and institutions across the country will participate in a comprehensive self-evaluation process using KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation’s benchmarking and planning tool.
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The Ghana Health Service is therefore calling for the cooperation and support of all stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the initiative aimed at improving TB care outcomes for children and adolescents in Ghana.
