VinBrain, a Vietnam-based health-tech startup, has officially signed a commercial agreement with Global Fund to transfer Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology for Tuberculosis (TB) screening and detection as part of Vietnam's National Tuberculosis Prevention Campaign. VinBrain is the sole entity chosen for this agreement with Global Fund in 2024.

DrAid for TB Screening, a solution developed from VinBrain's innovative and visionary approach to applying advanced technology, aligns with the stringent criteria of the Fund, contributing to community health and progress.

The collaboration aims to transform TB detection using advanced AI technology, significantly reducing diagnosis time by analysing X-ray images. This eliminates the need for extra TB bacterial PCR tests, cutting screening costs from $50-60 to only $1. Furthermore, the AI outputs its results in a file or QR code format, reducing environmental impact. 

Under this agreement, VinBrain plans to transfer the technology of 32 AI licenses, enables the screening of 1 million suspected TB cases starting in April 2024. This marks the largest scale initiative of its kind to date.

Notably, this initiative goes beyond existing efforts by enabling outreach to remote areas, overcoming geographical limitations in Vietnam or developing countries. The low cost allows to maximise budget utilisation, ensuring that more individuals benefit from this programme through advanced technology. This approach effectively addresses geographical barriers, making healthcare accessible to underserved regions by the ability to quickly identify abnormal TB regions in chest X-ray images within 15-20 seconds. Ultimately, this agreement contributes to the elimination of TB in Vietnam by 2035.