Isoniazid preventive therapy in child household contacts of adults with active TB in Bamako, Mali

BACKGROUND and OBJECTIVE: Isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) is known to reduce the risk of developing active TB in about 59% in children aged <= 15 years. We assessed adherence, completion and adverse events among children who were household contacts of a newly diagnosed adult with smear-positive TB in Bamako, Mali. METHODS: Children aged <15 years living in the same house with an adult smear-positive index case were enrolled in the study in the Bamako Region after consent was obtained from the parent or legal guardian. Adherence was assessed based on the number of tablets consumed during 6 months. RESULTS: A total of 260 children aged <15 years were identified as household contacts of 207 adult patients with smear-positive TB during the study period. Among all child contacts, 130/260 (50.0%) were aged 0-4 years and were eligible for IPT; 128/130 (98.5%) were started on IPT and 83/128 (64.8%) completed with good adherence at the end of the 6 months, and without any significant adverse events. CONCLUSION: We successfully implemented IPT with good acceptance, but low completion rate. The Mali National TB Program and partners should expand this strategy to reach more children in Bamako and the whole country and create greater awareness in the population.