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[Comment] Tuberculosis in the Americas: a worsening crisis amid genomic surveillance gaps

In 2023, tuberculosis (TB) returned as the leading infectious disease killer, after falling behind COVID-19 during the pandemic. An estimated 1.25 million lives were lost and 8.2 million new TB cases were reported worldwide, the highest number since the World Health Organization (WHO) began global TB monitoring in 1995.1 These facts reveal the failure to achieve the global commitment made in 2014 through the WHO's End TB Strategy, which set goals of reducing TB incidence by 90% and mortality by 95% by 2035.

[Articles] Impact of cigarette prices and age-of-sale policies on smoking prevalence among youth in 26 European Member States (2012–2023): a longitudinal ecological study using repeated cross-sectional data

Current taxation and age-of-sale policies remain insufficient, with impacts varying by sex and region. Achieving the tobacco endgame requires harmonised EU-level measures and stronger enforcement, particularly of these two policies, to prevent the ongoing influx of new youth smoking initiates. This study suggests that their potential impact has been constrained by inadequate enforcement to date rather than by policy ineffectiveness.

[Health Policy] European and North American guidelines for treating irritable bowel syndrome and functional abdominal pain in childhood: a guide for health-care professionals

Abdominal pain-related disorders of gut–brain interaction (AP-DGBI; including irritable bowel syndrome, functional abdominal pain—not otherwise specified, abdominal migraine, and functional dyspepsia) are very common among children and adolescents worldwide. Two of these disorders, irritable bowel syndrome and functional abdominal pain–not otherwise specified, have high rates of school absenteeism, psychological comorbidities, and chronicity into adulthood. A wide range of psychosocial, dietary, and pharmacological treatments have been explored for treatment of irritable bowel syndrome and functional abdominal pain—not otherwise specified in children.

[Review] The effects of plastic exposures on children's health and urgent opportunities for prevention

Children face an urgent threat in the form of hazards posed by plastics in the environment. Despite robust and rapidly accumulating evidence on the effects of plastic on children's health, plastic presents a paradox for child health providers: while plastic is a vehicle for so many interventions, robust evidence from laboratory and human studies show that chemicals used to produce plastics contribute to chronic conditions in multiple organ systems and disrupt hormone function, and exposure to plastic-derived toxins is associated with adverse birth outcomes, metabolic conditions, neurodevelopmental disease and disability, and reproductive conditions.

[Articles] Longitudinal association between dysmenorrhoea in adolescence and chronic pain in adulthood: a UK population-based study

Dysmenorrhoea in adolescence adversely affects immediate wellbeing and contributes to an increased risk of chronic pain in adulthood, thus lending supporting evidence to calls to consider adolescent dysmenorrhoea a crucial public health issue. Future work should focus on early identification and effective management, including non-pharmacological strategies and self-management, which relies on continuing work to improve young people's menstrual literacy.

[Reflections] Beyond sepsis awareness: why some children still fall through the cracks

In 2014, when William Mead unexpectedly died of sepsis at just 12 months old, his mother, Melissa, transformed her grief into a relentless mission. She stepped into a world she had never imagined: endless campaigns to raise sepsis awareness, committees, and media interviews, all driven by a selfless mission that no other family would have to endure the same heartbreak she had. At the same time, Akash Deep was working within the health system as a paediatric intensive care specialist, trying to shape sepsis awareness campaigns from a clinical perspective.

[Reflections] Mexico's school junk food ban to foster healthier futures

Mexico's March 2025 ban on ultra-processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in schools, introduced through a reform of the 2023 General Education Law, prohibits the sale and marketing of any products that carry front-of-package warning labels for excess calories, sugar, saturated fat, trans fat, or sodium. In a country where approximately 35% of school-aged children have overweight or obesity and where 60–70% of household calories come from ultra-processed foods and SSBs, the policy aims to create healthier school food environments and reduce childhood obesity.

[Corrections] Correction to Lancet Child Adolesc Health 2025; 9: 766–75

Reid-McCann R, Poli-Neto OB, Stein K, et al. Longitudinal association between dysmenorrhoea in adolescence and chronic pain in adulthood: a UK population-based study. Lancet Child Adolesc Health 2025; 9: 766–75—In this Article, the sixth sentence in the Research in context panel should read “The relationship between adolescent dysmenorrhoea and chronic pain in adulthood…”, and in figure 4, asterisks denoting a footnote have been added. Additionally, the figure legend for figures 3 and 4 have been updated.

[Correspondence] Paediatric malnutrition in Gaza amid conflict: an urgent health crisis

Since late 2023, Gaza has endured a protracted armed conflict with restricted humanitarian access, which has ultimately transformed its chronic food insecurity into an acute famine emergency. On Aug 15, 2025, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed famine in Gaza for the first time: 26% of the population were classified as being in famine (IPC Phase 5), 54% as being in emergency (IPC Phase 4), and 20% as being in crisis (IPC Phase 3), with conditions expected to deteriorate.

[Correspondence] Innovation in neonatology

In the Lancet Child & Adolescent Health Commission on the future of neonatology,1 Daniele De Luca and colleagues present a robust vision for research, partnerships, and care. However, to achieve more equitable outcomes for all newborns, especially those born preterm, in-depth focus on the social determinants of health is essential.2

[Correspondence] Training, values, and youth outcomes in adolescent and youth engagement in research – Authors' reply

We appreciate the thoughtful feedback from Clementine Jarrett and colleagues based on their experiences in engaging adolescents and youth in research. We recognise that there is no single ideal way for youth engagement to fit within research processes, and we celebrate the different ways that researchers are innovatively involving adolescents and youth in their research. Although our Comment1 was specifically for research reporting purposes, we acknowledge there are many other considerations that researchers undertake that might not be formally reported in research publications.

[Correspondence] Training, values, and youth outcomes in adolescent and youth engagement in research

We commend Jason M Nagata and colleagues on their checklist, adapted from GRIPP2, to report youth and adolescent engagement in research.1 As the Youth Voice Lead for Youth and Family Specific Engagement in Research (UNITE; Toronto, ON, Canada)—a research programme focused on meaningful youth and family engagement in health research—I contribute lived expertise to advancing youth-engaged research practice.2 Based on our programme of research, the UNITE team would propose three additions to the checklist to further strengthen reporting standards: training, values and principles, and outcomes for youth partners.

[Comment] Uncertainty in brain imaging after therapeutic hypothermia

After the TOBY trial, which enrolled 325 neonates with hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) and found that total body therapeutic hypothermia improved neurologic outcome in survivors, the implementation of therapeutic hypothermia in neonates with moderate to severe HIE has become a standard of care in many settings, reducing the extent of cerebral lesions and substantially improving clinical outcomes.1,2 Cerebral MRI is a key tool for assessing the extent and pattern of brain injury in infants with moderate-to-severe HIE who underwent therapeutic hypothermia,3 although the clinical interpretation of MRI findings in this group might be challenging.

[Comment] Children with disabilities are missing from global efforts to address violence

In November, 2024, the first Global Ministerial Conference on ending violence against children was held in Bogotá, Colombia, and was a landmark event for violence prevention. 101 countries and 21 organisations made commitments to address violence against children at home, in schools, in communities, and online.1 However, despite efforts to get disability on the agenda for the conference by civil society organisations, there was a notable gap in commitments on preventing and responding to violence against children with disabilities.

[Comment] Childhood tuberculosis: robust funding and integrated solutions needed now

The USA has led the world in global health activities, providing US$278 billion to low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) for health since 2000.1 Despite being only 0·3% of US Government spending in 2023, these investments contributed 29% of the total development assistance for health provided by all donor countries.1 The sudden withdrawal of US foreign assistance has led to ubiquitous dismantling of critical health programmes supporting vulnerable children and adolescents globally—most notably maternal and child health, tuberculosis, HIV, and malaria programmes.