New approaches in tuberculosis detection: the implementation of ultraportable radiological facilities equipped with computer-aided detection (CAD) technology

The Republic of Moldova remains the country with a high priority in the control of tuberculosis in the European Region. At the national level, tuberculosis remains one of the priority public health problems, the country being among 30 countries with a high burden of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in the world.The share of people with active tuberculosis identified through active detection, with the support of civil society organizations in 2023 -12, 23% (265 cases out of 2168 new cases and TB relapses notified during 2023). Homeless adults and people who use drugs are at increased risk of infection and disease with tuberculosis with a higher risk of developing tuberculosis due to their weakened immune system. With this aim, the piloting of the systematic tuberculosis screening with the use of ultraportable radiological facilities was initiated. 232 homeless adults were examined, including drug users. The results obtained confirmed that the use of ultraportable radiological facilities will contribute to the early detection of pulmonary tuberculosis and the prompt initiation of treatment, and therefore can reduce the spread of the disease in the community.