AI Vs TB: How Thailand Is Using Smart Technology To Find The ‘Missing Millions’
As the world races against time to end tuberculosis (TB) by 2030, a troubling reality persists, millions of cases are still being missed.
With just 56 months left, the urgency is no longer about ambition but execution, and Thailand is emerging as a compelling case study of how innovation can close the gap.
Despite commendable progress, Thailand still misses about one in five people with TB.
In 2024 alone, out of an estimated 104,000 cases, over 22,000 people were neither diagnosed nor treated, a dangerous gap for what remains the world’s deadliest infectious disease.
A major challenge lies in outdated diagnostic tools and delayed detection.
While the country has scaled up the use of WHO-recommended molecular testing to 69%, above the global average of 54%, gaps in early and accurate diagnosis remain.
Now, artificial intelligence (AI) is offering a powerful lifeline.
In a significant shift, the World Health Organisation in 2021 endorsed AI-powered computer-aided detection tools for interpreting chest X-rays, a historic move aimed at closing the “missing millions” gap in TB detection.
Thailand has embraced this innovation.
The country’s Food and Drug Administration approved Genki AI, a lung health screening software developed by DeepTek, capable of analysing chest X-rays for 27 conditions including TB, pneumonia, fibrosis, and lung masses.
At Aikchol Hospital in Chonburi province, radiologist Dr Grisit Prueksaritanond has been using Genki AI for over a year, with striking results.
Reviewing over 1,000 chest X-rays, the AI system helped identify at least three TB-related lesions that could have been missed by the human eye alone.
“Genki AI is very helpful, it is even more sensitive than my eyes,” Dr Grisit said, underscoring its value not just in detecting TB, but also other lung abnormalities.
Beyond diagnosis, AI is transforming efficiency.
It enables faster triaging by ruling out healthy patients, allowing healthcare workers to focus on those who urgently need care, a crucial advantage in resource-limited settings with few radiologists.
Experts say AI is not replacing doctors but strengthening them, acting as a second pair of eyes and reducing diagnostic errors.
As countries move towards a multi-disease approach to healthcare, tools like Genki AI are proving indispensable in detecting TB early, improving outcomes, and preventing transmission.
But technology alone is not enough.
To truly end TB, countries must combine innovation with equitable access to care, ensuring timely diagnosis, effective treatment, and patient-centred support systems that leave no one behind.
With the clock ticking, Thailand’s AI-driven approach offers a glimpse of what is possible when urgency meets innovation.
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