One of the 30 high TB-burden countries, Thailand has a population of more than 71 million population. An estimated 103,000 individuals are said to have developed TB. An additional 31,512 are considered missing people with TB, of which 2,835 are children.
In 2020, Delft Imaging provided five Delft Light portable backpack X-ray systems, together with the CAD4TB artificial intelligence software, for the automated detection of TB-related abnormalities on chest X-rays. The systems were delivered with installation and training services and provided to the Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, which uses different solutions to screen for TB amongst migrants at the border and prisons.
With the Global Fund’s support, SMRU’s TB screening program helps the migrant populations of Myanmar and Thailand. These at-risk populations, who live on both sides of the Thai-Myanmar border in the Mae Sot area of the Tak Province, are deprived of quality health care. Alongside research and humanitarian services, they focus on maternal-child health and infectious diseases.
Later, in 2023, an additional CAD4TB was provided to the Ministry of Health in Thailand to support them with the country’s rapid screening and triage of TB.
We provided nine Delft Lights, in combination with nine CAD4TB to Thailand in 2024. Additionally, they also procured warranty extensions for six Delft Light and CAD4TB in the same year.
Making a difference
For more information about how the Delft Light portable X-ray and CAD4TB solutions are used in Thailand, please view the story of ‘Field TB-Screening of Migrants Living in the Thailand-Myanmar Border with CAD4TB’ by Dr. Banyar Maung of SMRU in Thailand. The story was presented during the Delft Q3 webinar of 2022. During the webinar, Dr Maung noted: “Our target populations are migrants from Myanmar living in remote Thai villages. They find getting screened for TB and other health issues challenging as many are illegal migrants with travel restrictions and, thus, not included in Thailand’s health system. We must go to them since sending them to the clinic is difficult. So, we are doing both active and passive case findings. We use CAD4TB in free screening in the villages and our two TB clinics- one on each side of the Thailand-Myanmar border.”
You can view the full case study “Thailand- Migrant Screening using Delft Light & CAD4TB” here.
