24/11/2023
24/11/2023
In Mozambique, an innovative approach utilizing a mobile device linked to artificial intelligence software is being employed to monitor tuberculosis infections within prison facilities. Within the confines of a high-security prison in Maputo, Mozambique's capital, a man identified as a prisoner, clad in an orange shirt bearing the word "prisoner," stands patiently in the courtyard facing a vertically mounted, large white device.
Adjacent to the prisoner, a nurse activates a button on a portable X-ray machine connected to artificial intelligence software. This cutting-edge device is hailed as a significant advancement in the ongoing battle against tuberculosis, an infectious disease often affecting the lungs and caused by bacteria.
The artificial intelligence program integrated into the device enables instant and precise interpretation of the X-ray results, eliminating the need for a doctor's intervention. The nurse highlights, "It works in real-time, as we got the results in less than five minutes." The resulting image promptly appears on the screen of a technician situated a few meters away, accompanied by a diagnosis of the prisoner's health status. The laptop screen displays the words "Radiological signs suggestive of tuberculosis - result negative."
This initiative, reported by Agence France-Presse, forms part of a pilot project overseen by the Stop TB organization, managing three prisons in the Mozambican capital. The organization receives support from the United Nations in its efforts to combat tuberculosis within the prison population.