We are pleased to present to you, our dear readers, in this book of Türkiye Klinikleri, a collection on childhood tuberculosis from a broad perspective in light of recent recommendations and research. The book was prepared with help from our pediatric tuberculosis experts in our country and abroad.

Tuberculosis, as old as human history, is one of the infectious diseases that most commonly causes death after HIV infection. More than 2 billion people are known to be infected with the tuberculosis bacillus today, and the disease is spreading rapidly among young people. Because of this, many nations, including the World Health Organization, treat the fight against tuberculosis as a health strategy. The battle against tuberculosis, also known as the “tuberculosis war,” has been raging in our nation for more than a century. One of the crucial elements in the fight against tuberculosis is vaccination. Although the current BCG vaccine may not totally prevent people from the illness, it does offer protection from significant diseases such as miliary tuberculosis or tuberculous meningitis. However, due to anti-vaccination propaganda in our nation in recent years, immunization rates have been falling, and the disease is spreading more widely. Adults and children are at serious risk because tuberculosis is a highly contagious disease. Due to diagnosis, follow-up, and treatment challenges, tuberculosis control is becoming more demanding and challenging. Additionally, researchers have started looking for novel therapies due to the rise in drug-resistant tuberculosis cases in recent years. Because of this, directly observed therapy methods are used in many nations worldwide, including our own, to control the condition.

This book discusses childhood tuberculosis epidemiology, diagnosis, and therapy in the context of recent research. New advancements in diagnosis, treatment, and the use of biological agents for tuberculosis follow-up in pediatric patients are also covered. We thank our esteemed colleagues who accepted our invites and contributed to our book in the hopes that this prepared portion would be helpful to all healthcare professionals, especially pediatricians.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ayşe Ayzıt KILINÇ SAKALLI
Editor
İstanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Chest Diseases, İstanbul, Türkiye