ADDIS ABABA — Ministry of Health (MoH) disclosed that it has planned to purchase 460 TB testing machines this year.

MoH Control and Prevention of TB, Leprosy and other Lung Diseases Desk Head Taye Leta told the Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA) that it has set to buy 460 TB testing machines this fiscal year, 2023/2024.

He also said that 503 TB testing machines were purchased for the prevention and control of TB over the last 10 years. Work is being done to increase the number of machines to 1,100. Some 460 TB testing machines will be purchased this year and work is being done to address 900 districts at the national level.

He said: "There are more than 4,000 governments and over 10,000 private health institutions, in the country. Although the existing and the new TB testing machines that will be purchased are not enough, efforts are being exerted to make them accessible to all districts. The health facilities located near the districts and Kebeles are treating patients freely."

As to him, earlier, TB was diagnosed by asking patients about symptoms, but currently, it is being investigated using x-rays and artificial intelligence. Therefore, this year, 200 devices supported by artificial intelligence have been purchased and brought so as to diagnose TB.

According to the World TB report, 156,000 people in Ethiopia are infected with the disease. Some 136,000 have diagnosed and 20,000 of them are being investigated.

He further said that to find these 20,000 TB patients, it is necessary to complete the testing machines that the world has reached. Ethiopia is one of the seven countries in the world that have achieved the goal set from 2015 to 2022.