ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN TB CONTROL
Traditional methods of diagnosing tuberculosis require significant time and resources, particularly in countries where the disease is prevalent and healthcare systems are less developed. Additionally, more and more tuberculosis cases are becoming resistant to drugs, posing a significant hazard to public health. Culture-based TB diagnosis, which has long been considered the most reliable method, faces challenges due to its long testing times. To address this issue, MTB/RIFassays such as GeneXpert and Truenat were developed. These are rapid molecular tests that detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA and rifampicin resistance. However, as of 2022, their use remains limited, with only 33% of people globally using them as initial diagnostic tests.