The Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) announced its partnership with Qure.ai, a leading health-tech firm that builds artificial intelligence (AI) powered medical imaging diagnostics solutions, to implement comprehensive tuberculosis (TB) screening in Zambia. The project will have Qure.ai’s AI-enabled computer-assisted detection software, along with its lung health management platform, to evaluate chest X-rays and identify presumptive TB patients.
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Supported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through a cooperative agreement with CRDF Global, Qure.ai working with CIDRZ, will integrate its lung health suite – qXR, AI-enabled chest x-ray solution along with qTrack, a comprehensive case management platform to help optimize radiology workflows in 7 hospitals in Zambia.
CIDRZ CEO, Dr. Izukanji Sikazwe said “CIDRZ welcomes this partnership as the qXR solution will contribute immensely to Zambia’s stride to ending TB by the year 2030. With use of the qXR solution for Chest X-rays, we anticipate an increase of TB detection and monitoring in the various health facilities in the country”.
The sites include Kanyama, Chawama, Matero, Choma, and Kafue General Hospitals, Monze Mission Hospital, and Livingstone University Teaching Hospital. The project will launch across these seven sites, with a mix of analogue and digital X-rays used to screen for TB presumptive cases.
Speaking about this partnership, Prashant Warier, Founder and CEO, of Qure.ai said, “We are excited to be partnering with CIDRZ in their efforts to curb TB and take significant strides towards universal lung health in the country. Our solutions will be crucial in bringing quality diagnostic healthcare to thousands of people in Zambia. I also want to laud Stop TB Partnership and CDC for supporting this technology-driven initiative that will undoubtedly help CIDRZ in their endeavor to eradicate TB from the community.”
Qure.ai’s lung health suite of products will complement the existing screening and diagnostic pathways and enable a sustained increase in TB case detection in high-burden settings. The AI-enabled screening program will be crucial for augmenting the current TB screening mechanism and alleviate pressure on the healthcare workforce relative to identification of TB presumptive patients. ure.ai’s CE-approved chest X-ray software – qXR, can detect 30 critical lung markers in under a minute. It can accurately detect clinically relevant findings suggestive of a host of lung diseases over and above TB, such as Pneumonia, COPD, COVID-19, and Silicosis, among others.
