One of the key recommendations from the National TB Prevalence Survey released last year was to increase ‘access to TB screening and testing services through outreach programmes using mobile testing and X-ray facilities’. Tiyese Jeranji takes stock of the number of mobile X-ray vans and containers across the country, as well as plans to scale up their use.
on the launch of pilot projects in six districts in which such mobile X-ray screening strategies are being tried out. The pilots are coordinated by the National Department of Health in partnership with large donors such as the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the United States Agency for International Development . These donors have contracted several non-profit organisations to run the pilots in the six districts.
Tsibolane says the DCXR movable containers and vans for the Global Fund are staffed with a radiographer, nurse, data capturer, and a driver for the mobile vans. “All staff are trained on how to operate the equipment before the use of DCXR, including capturing and reporting data,” she says.
Below, we provide more detail on the X-ray pilot projects in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.“Of everyone screened in the Western Cape, 2.2% were found to have TB, but about 30% of those clients were asymptomatic, meaning they are unlikely to have been diagnosed without the DCXR as further testing is usually based on symptom identification,” Best says.are 11 DCXR units. Seven are modified shipping containers, meaning they can be moved, but require a truck to do so.
“The van is also deployed based on the public health activities being carried out in the district. For instance, deploying it when celebrating World TB or World HIV days or any special community days,” he says. “The mobile X-ray units would ensure that the department takes TB screening and services directly to people,” Meth said.Meth said these two mobile X-ray units will assist them to ensure that they get to as many people as possible, particularly those in rural areas and townships who might not know they have TB.
“However, distributing the project to all institutions will be good as there is a high rate of unemployed patients who cannot afford to go to the hospitals for X-ray services,” she says.
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