New TB Screening Drive Targets Vulnerable Groups

The Kenyan government has launched a major push to strengthen tuberculosis (TB) detection among high-risk populations, unveiling 80 ultra-portable digital X-ray units powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI). Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale flagged off the units during a ceremony at KEMSA, alongside the launch of integrated lung health guidelines.
These AI-driven X-ray systems use computer-aided detection (CAD) to rapidly interpret chest images, enabling quicker and more accurate diagnosis of TB, especially in underserved and remote communities. The devices will be deployed across 43 counties, reaching primary healthcare facilities and community settings to bridge long-standing diagnostic gaps.
As part of the campaign, health officials are targeting vulnerable groups—including people in informal settlements, those living with HIV, and close contacts of TB patients—for systematic screening through mobile outreach.Notably, in Turkana County, more than 700 people were screened over a three-day AI X-ray outreach that also collected sputum samples from children under 15 and pregnant women for further testing.
Experts say this intensified screening drive, backed by digital innovation, could significantly increase early detection, reduce TB transmission, and help Kenya close its missing cases gap — a persistent barrier to ending the disease.