Turkana: Turkana County screened 700 people for tuberculosis (TB) on the first day of the Artificial Intelligence against TB campaign's Global Chest X-ray Challenge. The county is among six selected for its AI-powered X-ray capabilities. The free screenings are scheduled from April 28-30 at California Market and April 30-May 1 at Canaan Village, with a target of 300 screenings daily, totaling 1,200. The first day surpassed 50% of its goal.
According to Kenya News Agency, Dr. Job Okemwa, the county's coordinator for TB, leprosy, and lung diseases, explained that the initiative employs AI to identify overlooked TB cases. Additionally, sputum samples were collected from children under 15 and pregnant women to ensure inclusivity. Dr. Okemwa highlighted that AI X-rays assist clinicians in diagnosing TB before laboratory tests, with the software generating a heat map that scores lung abnormalities from 60-100. Positive cases are then confirmed through lab tests.
Gregory Onyango of AMREF Health Africa pointed out that Kenya misses 40% of TB cases each year. He noted that quarterly outreaches aim to address this gap. The global challenge evaluates countries based on screenings, diagnoses, and treatment initiations, urging residents to take advantage of these free services.
The Kenya Red Cross underscored TB's status as a leading infectious killer and stressed the importance of community campaigns in reducing stigma and improving access to care. Beneficiary Faith Ereng expressed confidence in recovery, saying, 'Now we know our status and can get free treatment.' SHA volunteer Francis Kepat added, 'SHA helps those who need it most but can't afford hospitals.'
The outreach is supported by AMREF, the Kenya Red Cross, and the Ministry of Health's TB/Leprosy Unit.