Tuberculosis Screening Opportunities for People in Areas with Difficult Medical Access. FUJIFILM’s Portable X-ray system

TB is one of the three major infectious diseases in the world and has an extremely high social and economic impact due to its high infectiousness and the large medical costs involved in diagnosis and treatment. It is estimated that more than 10 million people are infected annually worldwide, of which over1.5 million die. The number of TB patients in developing countries, especially in Asia and Africa, accounts for about 90% of the world's total.

In developing countries, in addition to a lack of medical facilities, transportation infrastructure is often inadequate, and access to testing and treatment is limited, especially for those living outside urban areas. Even if patients are able to undergo testing, the correct diagnosis may not be made, and the disease may be missed and not lead to appropriate treatment.

Many are unaware that TB can be curable with early detection and treatment, so driving awareness and creating access to screening is crucial.

The Fujifilm Group has commercialized a portable X-ray system that is compact, lightweight, easy to carry, and simple to operate.

We believe that by utilizing this device, in partnership with healthcare providers, we can bring opportunities for TB screening to people living in developing countries, especially in remote areas such as mountainous regions and remote islands, we conducted a TB screening demonstration test using this device through the Stop TB Partnership, which is engaged in global TB control.

As a result, the effectiveness and usefulness of this device in TB screening were recognized by the Stop TB Partnership, and it was recommended as a new TB screening tool in 2021. Furthermore, the WHO recommends to detect TB infection on the spot using AI technology on chest X-ray images in countries with few specialist physicians and insufficient resources. By providing an application that utilizes AI technology, we make it possible to check the analysis results on the spot.

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In order to achieve WHO's goal of ending tuberculosis by 2030, Fujifilm will deploy TB screening solutions using portable X-ray systems worldwide.

In addition to TB screening, the portable X-ray system can also be used to take images of various parts of the abdominal area, bones throughout the body, and other areas necessary for primary medical care. If this equipment is deployed at primary health centers (primary medical institutions) scattered around the world, simple medical examinations and follow-up observations can be performed on the spot. By strengthening the functions of primary health care institutions in this way, it is expected to lead to the establishment of an efficient medical system in which only patients who truly need medical care are seen at major hospitals. Fujifilm will continue to contribute to improving the quality of and access to medical care in developing countries by providing portable X-ray systems.

The Fujifilm Group aims to bring new value to society and contribute to solving social issues through our business activities. The fight against tuberculosis (TB), which is a prominent and global social issue mainly in developing countries, is one of the issues FUJIFILM Group is determined to tackle. We are committed to expanding our activities to support tuberculosis screening through the provision of portable X-ray systems, with the concerted efforts of the entire Fujifilm Group to end tuberculosis.