USAID continues to support new tools and interventions to combat TB. In Vietnam, the country’s national algorithm for TB screening is called the Double X strategy, which consists of screening individuals at risk for TB using digital X-ray first, then testing those with abnormal results with GeneXpert, a rapid molecular diagnostic test. In 2022, to help further increase TB case notifications in the country, USAID supported the incorporation of ultra-portable digital X-ray systems with CAD technology with AI functionalities into the Double X strategy. These innovative X-rays have been rolled out in primary health care facilities and community-based settings in four provinces. This approach helps find individuals with TB earlier, and the new tools help address existing health care worker shortages, since the AI function does not require experienced radiologists at this level to read the results.
Utilizing this approach, Vietnam has successfully reached hundreds of individuals with TB who would have otherwise gone undetected, enabling them to access the care they need earlier and reducing community transmission. As of March 2023, more than 32,000 individuals were screened. Of these, 3,500 individuals had abnormal chest X-ray results, and more than 400 individuals were diagnosed with TB. This contributed to Vietnam reporting a 32 percent increase in TB case notifications, and a 36 percent increase in DR-TB case notifications and enrollment on treatment in 2022 compared to 2021.
