India’s TB Elimination Push and AI Chest X-ray Tools
Why in the news
The target of eradicating TB by 2025 is undermined by bureaucratic delay: approved AI X-ray tools go unused by the national programme.
AI tools compared
| Tool | Maker | Evidence and reach | Cost per scan |
|---|---|---|---|
| qXR | Qure.ai, Bengaluru | HTA and MTAB approved; 3,100+ sites in 90 countries | ₹30 |
| Genki | DeepTek, Pune | HTA and MTAB approved; 80 sites in 15 Indian states | ₹22 |
| DeepCXR | Institute for Plasma Research, Gandhinagar | Trained on 54,000 X-rays; no published field data on sensitivity or specificity | Not stated |
- qXR and Genki show sensitivity above 90%, in line with WHO screening standards.
Concerns
- The Central TB Division waits for HTA approval, though it is not compulsory, yet still excludes approved tools.
- DeepCXR was recommended without formal notice to states, who learned of it on inquiry.
Why X-ray screening matters
- 42.6% of TB cases were found by X-ray in the National TB Survey of 2019-2021.
- 39% were found by X-ray alone in Tamil Nadu’s 2021-22 survey.
- AI reads X-rays in under a minute, cheaply, even in low-resource settings.
Way forward
- Roll out validated tools (qXR, Genki) urgently.
- Issue clear policy guidelines; require independent validation before adoption.
Exam angle
- Body: Central TB Division, Health Ministry.
- Approval bodies: HTA, MTAB.