The deployment of the Delft Light Backpack Portable Digital X-ray and CAD4TB in Nigerian prisons under a USAID project led to the screening of 4,920 inmates, identifying 72 TB cases. This initiative underscores the urgent need for measures to address overcrowding in prisons to prevent the spread of TB and other infectious diseases.
- Delft Light Backpack Portable Digital X-ray (DLB) and CAD4TB were procured and deployed under the USAID-supported New Tools project.
- From December 2021 to February 2022, three 2-person teams, each equipped with the DLB and CAD4TB, were deployed to screen all inmates in 16 prisons across the states. Persons with a CAD4TB score >50 had sputum samples collected for Xpert MTB/RIF ultra-assay and further clinical evaluation.
- Across all prisons, 4,920 inmates were screened. 87% are within the 5 Medium Security Custodial Centres (MSCC) with a mean inmate population of 857.
- Presumptive TB yield from MSCC and Satellite custodial centres (SCC) was 9.4% and 6.9%, respectively. A total of 72 cases were diagnosed, of which 67 (93%) were from MSCC. TB yield amongst screened inmates in MSCCs was twice.
- The Nigerian correctional service and relevant health authorities should institute measures to decongest the bigger centres that are overcrowded to halt the spread of infectious diseases such as Tuberculosis within those congregate settings.
REFERENCE: M. Tukur et al. (2022, November 8-11). Early experience from the Portable Digital X-ray implementation in special populations in Kano and Katsina states, Nigeria; lessons learnt and recommendations for scale up. The Union World Conference on Lung Health 2022.
