Objective To analyze the reported incidence and epidemiological characteristics of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in children aged 0−14 years in Yunnan province from 2015 to 2024 and provide evidence for the development of the strategies for the prevention and control of pulmonary TB in children.

Methods Through the infectious disease surveillance system in China’s Disease Prevention and Control Information System, the incidence data of pulmonary TB in children aged 0−14 years in Yunnan from 2015 to 2024 were collected, and software SPSS Statistics 19.0 and Joinpoint 5.0.1 were used to analyze trends in the prevalence, spatial, time and population distributions, and results of pathogen testing of pulmonary TB.

Results From 2015 to 2024, the annual reported incidence of pulmonary TB in children aged 0−14 years was 5.24/ 100000 in Yunnan, with a generally stable trend; the differences had no significance (P>0.05). The annual incidence showed periodic changes, increasing from 4.77/100000 in 2015 to 6.62/100000 in 2019 annual percentage change (APC)=11.24%, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.68%–49.02%, P<0.05, and decreasing to 4.11/100000 in 2024 (APC=−8.63%, 95%CI: −31.80%–−2.43%, P<0.05). The proportion of 0−14 years old children with positive test results of the causative agent of pulmonary TB was lower than that in general population, but the proportion showed an upward trend (trend χ²=212.015, P<0.001); the reported incidence of was highly correlated with that in general population (r=0.842, P<0.001).

Conclusion From 2015 to 2024, the reported incidence of pulmonary TB in children aged 0−14 years remained at low level in Yunnan, with a relatively stable trend over time. Compared with adults, the rate of positive results for the causative agents of pulmonary TB in children was significantly lower. The area distribution of the disease was closely related to the overall incidence rate in general population, suggesting the need for enhanced preventive measures targeting children with latent TB.