The Ministry of Health has launched 10 portable, artificial intelligence-powered digital X-ray machines to strengthen tuberculosis (TB) screening and diagnosis across private health facilities, a move aimed at expanding access to early diagnostic services nationwide.
The US$1 million (about Shs3.8 billion) initiative, supported by the United States Department of State, targets private not-for-profit and private-for-profit health centers. Tuberculosis remains a significant public health challenge in Uganda, where thousands of cases go undetected annually due to limited diagnostic equipment in community and lower-level healthcare settings.
Unveiled at the Joint Medical Store (JMS) headquarters in Nsambya, Kampala, the solar-powered equipment was manufactured by US-based MinXray Inc., with artificial intelligence software provided by Qure.ai. Speaking at the launch, Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Dr. Diana Atwine noted that the machines would ease the workload of health workers and improve access to screening in facilities with constrained diagnostic capacity. Dr. Atwine explained that the technology accelerates screening significantly, taking about three minutes per scan to generate diagnostic results, which allows health workers to identify suspected cases and initiate treatment promptly.
JMS Executive Director Dr. Bildard Baguma highlighted that high acquisition, maintenance, and servicing costs have long prevented many health facilities from acquiring modern diagnostic equipment. He emphasized that timely and accurate diagnosis relies heavily on having proper equipment operated by qualified personnel, adding that the new program will also build local technical capacity to maintain the infrastructure.
To ensure long-term sustainability, the program introduces a revolving fund structure. Acting US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Jessica Healey explained that modest fees charged for screening services will be recycled to finance the procurement of additional X-ray machines. She described the arrangement as trade over aid in practice, intended to expand diagnostic reach while reducing reliance on continuous US foreign assistance.
Ms. Healey revealed that 14 similar machines have already been deployed in Uganda’s public health sector, screening roughly 14,000 people and leading to an 83 per cent treatment initiation rate among identified TB patients. She added that the US has committed to procuring an additional 110 mobile X-ray units, which will be deployed under Ministry of Health guidance to target high-priority areas across the country.