PATH Kenya’s Nuru Ya Mtoto project, funded through PEPFAR, has made a significant investment in tuberculosis (TB) diagnostic services, procuring two AI-enabled digital x-ray machines to strengthen early diagnosis and treatment of TB.
Since 2021, the Nuru Ya Mtoto project has been working closely with county governments to strengthen health systems to deliver HIV care and treatment services to people living with HIV (PLHIV). TB is one of the most common opportunistic infections that affect PLHIV, increasing health complications and heightening mortality rates. According to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2023), 26 percent of people diagnosed with TB in Kenya were also living with HIV, with an estimated TB incidence of 223 per 100,000 population.
This investment, therefore, comes at a critical time when early detection of TB remains a major public health priority, particularly for PLHIV.
In western Kenya, where Nuru Ya Mtoto operates, many people travel long distances to access TB screening services at referral health facilities with more comprehensive diagnostic services. In most cases, the cost of travel often delays or prevents them from seeking care, causing TB cases to go undiagnosed or be detected late. This increases the spread of TB and makes treatment more difficult. With the new AI-enabled imaging technology, the project moves closer to increasing access to quality TB screening services, especially in hard-to-reach and underserved regions.
“We will now be able to reach more people with TB screening services.”— Dr. Nicholas Kitungulu, Vihiga County Executive Committee Member
Dr. Nicholas Kitungulu commends PATH Kenya’s Nuru Ya Mtoto for its investment in TB diagnostics during the handing over of an AI-enabled portable digital x-ray machine in Vihiga County. Photo: PATH/Denise Akun.
The newly procured digital x-ray machines are equipped with AI-assisted screening software capable of analyzing chest images in real time for more than 100 people a day. This allows health care providers to quickly flag suspected TB cases for further testing.
PATH Kenya’s Nuru Ya Mtoto project has deployed these machines to serve Hamisi Sub-County Hospital in Vihiga County and Mumias West Level IV Hospital in Kakamega County. This is expected to complement existing TB screening efforts by providing a noninvasive preliminary screening option. The Nuru Ya Mtoto project prioritized training for health care providers to ensure effective use of the equipment, proper interpretation of AI-generated outputs, and seamless integration into existing diagnostic workflows.
“This machine is special. It has helped standardize interpretation of chest scans.”— Flaviah Ingwela, Vihiga County radiographer
A health care provider uses an AI-enabled portable digital x-ray machine to screen for TB during an outreach activity at Enzaro Health Centre in Vihiga County. Photo: PATH/Denise Akun.
Strengthening TB outcomes
This investment builds on the Nuru Ya Mtoto project’s broader efforts to improve TB outcomes among PLHIV and vulnerable populations. With support from the US government, Nuru Ya Mtoto continues to work closely with county governments and partners to strengthen TB prevention, case identification, treatment, and TB/HIV integration through community outreach, facility-based interventions, and health systems strengthening. The project’s approach focuses on targeted community screening, mentorship of health care workers, routine data review to ensure targeted interventions, and strengthened referral and diagnostic systems to improve early detection, treatment outcomes, and continuity of care.
The project implements these lifesaving interventions in four western Kenya counties, namely, Kakamega, Kisumu, Nyamira, and Vihiga.
In 2025, the Nuru Ya Mtoto project team provided lifesaving HIV care and treatment services to 91,740 PLHIV. Of these, 88,312 (96 percent) received TB screening services.
Through community- and facility-based TB screening efforts across the four implementing counties, a total of 3,532 individuals were identified as new or relapsed TB cases and initiated on treatment. Of these, 3,455 people (98 percent) already knew their HIV status, while 291 were newly diagnosed as HIV positive, with 247 successfully linked to care.
Additionally, 5,917 individuals at risk of developing TB, including household members in contact with TB patients, were initiated on TB preventive therapy to reduce their risk of developing active TB.
In fiscal year 2026, the Nuru Ya Mtoto project aims to intensify its efforts and reach a higher number of individuals with TB screening and treatment services.
