The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says it is helping the Nigerian government use new Portable Digital X-ray (PDX) machines powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to find tuberculosis (TB) early, especially in people who have HIV.
Dr. Flora Nwagagbo, who works on TB and HIV at CDC Nigeria, shared this information at a media event in Abuja on Wednesday.
She said Nigeria has one of the highest rates of TB in the world.
In 2023, Nigeria recorded 467,000 new TB cases and 71,000 deaths from the disease.
She added that 4.9% of people with HIV also have TB. TB is the main cause of death for people with HIV because the virus weakens their immune system, making it easier for them to get sick from TB.
TB is caused by a germ called *Mycobacterium tuberculosis*. It spreads through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. TB mostly affects the lungs but can also damage the kidneys, spine, brain, and other parts of the body.
Dr. Nwagagbo said that having both TB and HIV at the same time makes it harder to diagnose and treat the diseases. HIV can hide TB symptoms, causing delays in diagnosis and treatment, which can lead to serious illness or death.
In 2023, out of the 10.8 million TB cases worldwide, 2.6 million people were not diagnosed or treated. Out of these, 662,000 cases (6.1%) were in people with HIV. In Nigeria, around 140,000 of the 467,000 new TB cases were found in people living with HIV.
She explained that screening people regularly is a key first step to finding and treating TB in those most at risk.
Finding TB early and starting treatment quickly can improve a patient’s health and help prevent serious problems or death.
Dr. Nwagagbo said that TB screening can be done with AI-powered portable chest X-ray machines or fast lab tests. These tools can be used alone or together.
She explained that the CDC is giving technical and financial support to help Nigeria improve TB diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. They are training healthcare workers, helping them collect samples, track treatment progress, keep proper records, and improve service quality.
She added that the CDC is also helping to make sure people with HIV are checked for TB regularly, and that TB patients are tested for HIV. They are providing free preventive treatment to people with HIV, improving lab testing systems, and helping Nigeria use AI-powered portable X-ray machines to find TB faster.
These portable machines can detect TB even in people who have no symptoms. They are also useful for people with HIV, whose TB is often harder to detect with regular tests because their immune system behaves differently.
Dr. Nwagagbo said that using AI helps the X-ray machines detect TB more accurately and faster than regular X-rays. This means patients can start treatment sooner and have better health outcomes.
Because the machines are portable, they can be used in remote areas without needing extra equipment or specialists. The images can be read on-site, so there’s no need to send patients far away or wait for a radiologist. This saves time and money.
AI also helps health workers make better decisions. It provides more consistent results and reduces the chance of mistakes or disagreements in reading the X-rays.
She said the CDC will keep working with the government and health centers to use these machines in more places. They will also check how well the machines are working, continue training and information sharing, and explore how this technology can help people with HIV stay healthier.
Dr. Emperor Ubochioma from Nigeria’s National TB, Leprosy, and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme thanked the CDC, the U.S. government, partners, and the media for their support in the fight against TB and HIV.
Speaking on his behalf, Dr. Shadrach Dimang said the media is important in fighting false information about TB and HIV. He said early diagnosis and treatment are the best ways to stop the spread of these diseases.
Dr. Ubochioma said that the AI-powered PDX machines make it easier to find TB early. They are very accurate and help avoid mistakes, especially in children or people with weak immune systems.
Dr. Onu Eugene from the Catholic Caritas Foundation of Nigeria also praised the machines. He said their project in one state is already showing good results.
He explained that they are comparing how things were before and after using the PDX machines. The machines are a big part of their project, and they expect to find more TB cases and improve TB control in Nigeria.
