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The new pill will contain the correct dosage for children
The new pill will contain the correct dosage for children

TB drug designed for children launched in Kenya

The world's first drug specifically designed to treat tuberculosis in children has been launched in Kenya.

The new pill is a combination of three drugs used to treat tuberculosis, mixed in the right dosage, and is fruit-flavoured to appeal to children.

Until now, the global TB Alliance said pills designed for adults had been split to get the dosage for children.

Every year, about a million children fall ill with TB, which is the world's deadliest infectious disease.

In 2014, an estimated 140,000 children died of TB, according to global figures from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Kenya is the first country to roll out the new drug nationally, with more countries expected to follow over the next three years.

Experts say the new treatment will be more effective because the components have been measured accurately and the pill is not bitter-tasting.

At Majengo slum in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, a dark corridor leads to Helen Chebet's one-roomed home, where she lives with her family of six.

This year, both Ms Chebet and her two youngest children were diagnosed with tuberculosis, after several failed attempts to treat for other possible infections. Her 15-month-old daughter Chepkoech was put on a six-month course of antibiotics, which required her to take six tablets a day..

The new drug dissolves easily in water, making it easier to take every day for the six-month treatment period.

Credit: BBC

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