IPT uptake among child contacts of TB patients: Experience from the Indus Hospital TB program, Karachi, Pakistan

Background: Infants and young children are particularly susceptible to developing tuberculosis (TB) following exposure and infection, and isoniazid preventive therapy can substantially reduce this risk. This evidence-base provides the rationale for the policy and guidelines to screen and manage children that are household contacts of TB cases, prioritizing those with sputum smear-positive TB. The guidelines have been in place for decades, but are rarely implemented. IPT programs in high-TB burden countries are rare and fraught with low uptake and low rates of therapy completion. Methods: This study describes the demographics and outcomes of contact management and the IPT program for