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Validation of treatment decision algorithms for childhood tuberculosis at low levels of healthcare in high burden countries - effectiveness, implementation, and integration into policy and practices

Project description

Algorithms to manage childhood tuberculosis

Childhood tuberculosis remains a pervasive global concern, often escaping timely diagnosis and treatment. In 2022, the World Health Organization acknowledged this challenge and tentatively recommended treatment decision algorithms for children under 10 years old. Addressing this critical issue, the EU-funded Decide-TB project now pioneers a comprehensive approach based on the treatment decision algorithms. The focus is on high-burden, resource-limited countries. Led by an interdisciplinary consortium, this project integrates these algorithms with clinical tools and a system for programme monitoring. Through a pragmatic trial and meta-analysis, Decide-TB strives to validate and implement these strategies, offering a transformative solution to enhance childhood tuberculosis management on a global scale.

Objective

Childhood tuberculosis (TB) remains globally underdiagnosed and untreated. In 2022, WHO conditionally recommended the use of treatment decision algorithms (TDAs) to improve the diagnosis of pulmonary TB in children <10 years and called for the external validation of two suggested TDAs for children. The Decide-TB project aims to generate evidence for the implementation of a comprehensive TDA-based approach for TB in children living in high-burden, resource-limited countries, at district hospital and primary health centre levels, and to facilitate the integration of this evidence into practice and policy. As an interdisciplinary consortium of researchers and national TB programs (NTPs), we will conduct a programmatic pilot of WHO-suggested TDAs, also integrating specific TDAs for children living with HIV and/or those malnourished, and severity assessment for shorter treatment decision in non-severe TB disease. Clinical mentoring tools and a Clinical Decision Support System will be developed. District information systems will be strengthened to collect individual data for program monitoring and supervision by NTPs, and for research. The TDA-based approach will be tested in a pragmatic stepped wedge cluster-randomized trial, including effectiveness, implementation, socio-behavioural, economics and policy research components. The diagnostic accuracy of TDAs will be assessed in a parallel meta-analysis of children with presumptive TB from recent studies led by consortium members. The pragmatic trial and meta-analysis will contribute to external validation of the WHO-suggested TDAs. Engagement of key stakeholders and decision-makers throughout the project will support adoption into international and national policies and into clinical practice. Through validation of TDAs, widespread policy adoption, and translation into clinical practice, Decide-TB will increase access to safe and effective TB management for children, thus reduce TB mortality and contribute to SDG3.

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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HORIZON-JU-RIA - HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Actions

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2022-01

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Coordinator

UNIVERSITE DE BORDEAUX
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 1 394 278,75
Address
PLACE PEY BERLAND 35
33000 BORDEAUX
France

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Region
Nouvelle-Aquitaine Aquitaine Gironde
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 1 615 528,75

Participants (12)

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