Uganda banks on mobile TB clinics to boost detection in hard-to-reach communities

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Uganda has stepped up its fight against tuberculosis (TB) by deploying mobile clinic vans to hard-to-reach communities, as the country joined the rest of the world to mark World Tuberculosis Day on Tuesday (March 24).

The move comes amid a persistent burden of the disease, with thousands of cases still going undetected each year.

Health minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng told the press before the national commemorations in Nwoya district that the government is prioritising high-burden districts through targeted interventions, including the rollout of mobile TB clinics.

“We have about five districts where the burden of TB is still high, and we are working on these districts, Nwoya being one of them. We are here to speak candidly to the population about ensuring that whoever has a cough that has lasted for more than two weeks gets tested,” she said.

Immediate results

The mobile TB clinic vans are designed to take diagnostic services closer to communities, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Equipped with digital X-ray machines and GeneXpert technology, the vehicles can screen, test and provide results on-site.

“When that mobile van comes, you are able to carry out an X-ray and have your sputum checked. You will be told your results immediately," said the health minister.

Beyond diagnosis, the government is also intensifying contact tracing. Health teams are now following up confirmed TB patients at their homes to test family members and close contacts, a strategy aimed at breaking transmission chains early.

Despite these efforts, TB remains a major public health challenge in Uganda.

According to the health ministry, an estimated 96,000 people fall ill with TB each year. However, nearly 30,000 of these cases go undiagnosed or unreported annually, highlighting a significant detection gap.

In 2024 alone, about 88,000 TB cases were officially recorded, against an estimated 99,000 infections. This discrepancy underscores the limitations of traditional detection methods, which often rely on patients presenting with clear symptoms.

Experts said symptom-based screening can miss up to half of TB cases, meaning many patients are only diagnosed when the disease has advanced or spread to others. To address this, Uganda is increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to improve early detection and surveillance.

Between 2021 and 2025, AI-supported systems screened more than 190,000 people, with about 30 percent showing abnormalities. This led to over 6,000 confirmed TB diagnoses after further testing.

Dr Henry Luzze of the National TB and Leprosy Programme said AI is helping bridge the detection gap by identifying cases that would otherwise be missed.

“Traditional screening methods are inefficient. Many people are only diagnosed when the disease has already advanced,” he said at a recent Tuberculosis AI Virtual Symposium held ahead of World TB Day.

In addition to diagnosis, AI is also being used to predict where TB is most likely to occur. Through platforms such as EPCON, health officials can analyse demographic and geographic data to pinpoint high-risk communities.

According to researchers, focusing interventions on the top 20 percent of high-risk areas identified by AI could increase case detection by up to 75 percent. This marks a shift from reactive to predictive healthcare, allowing authorities to intervene earlier and more effectively.

However, experts cautioned that the success of AI depends heavily on the quality of data. Inconsistent reporting and fragmented health information systems remain key challenges that could undermine these innovations if not addressed.

'Please get tested'

Alongside detection and treatment efforts, Uganda continues to rely on prevention strategies, including vaccination.

The Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine, administered to infants, currently has a national coverage of about 91 percent, with this high uptake playing a critical role in protecting children from severe forms of TB.

The government is also investing in public awareness campaigns, encouraging early testing and reducing stigma associated with the disease.

Minister Aceng emphasised that TB does not always present obvious symptoms, urging Ugandans to seek testing even with mild signs.

“TB may not show all the signs. Even if you have only one symptom, please get tested. My call to Ugandans is that we can get rid of TB."