Innovations to improve healthcare access and end tuberculosis

"Artificial intelligence screens for TB more accurately, leading to improved treatment for patients. The portable X-ray makes things easier for doctors and patients and plays an important role in TB response," said Dr. Saidsharif Haydarov, a tuberculosis specialist in Rudaki, Tajikistan.

The automated technology helps Dr. Haydarov interpret chest X-ray images and see if people have tuberculosis (TB), a potentially fatal infectious disease that mostly affects the lungs. If anomalies are found in the images, patients undergo additional testing to confirm their diagnosis and receive appropriate treatment.

Chest X-rays are a common method of screening and triaging people for TB and assessing their lung damage. With artificial intelligence (AI), results are more precise and ready in a couple of minutes, allowing health workers to quickly determine the next steps for TB care, even in remote areas without a radiology expert.

"Not everyone can read and interpret an X-ray report. AI helps highlight potential TB infection. If there is no radiologist, any doctor can see that there is a problem here," said Dr. Ofere Ohide, a radiologist at Torit State Hospital, South Sudan.