Biography
Dr Immaculate Kathure is a medical doctor with specialization in Public Health and 19 years’ experience. Currently as head of the National TB Program, Kenya. Dr. Immaculate is responsible for leadership and coordination of TB control activities including strategic planning, policy development and dissemination, resource mobilization, monitoring, evaluation and stakeholder coordination. She previously worked with USAID as Project Management Specialist Deputy Team Leader overseeing the planning and implementation of PMTCT and Paediatric HIV activities, and as a National TB Program officer where she oversaw TB care and treatment activities.
Key Impacts
Use of multimodal computer aided detection software for optimisation of lung health services in Kenya
Use of multimodal CAD software enables simultaneous screening for TB, post-TB sequelae, and other lung conditions allowing timely diagnosis and management. This reduces radiology referrals and streamlines patient care pathways for TB and chronic lung diseases. It maximizes the impact of lung health programs, reducing the strain on resource-limited settings. Scale-up will focus on strengthening monitoring and referral systems, validation of CAD for other lung conditions and Quality Assurance programs for CAD.
Source: Conference 2024
Accelerating TB screening and finding TB through artificial intelligence retrofits into existing X-ray systems in Kenya
Kenya’s experience demonstrates that a multimodal AI retrofit into existing X-ray infrastructure is feasible, has no cost implication to patients, enhances diagnostic accuracy and optimises radiologists’ workload. Lessons learnt will enable other countries to rapidly adopt and scale up this facility-based approach to accelerate TB detection by ensuring no chest X-ray is missed for screening of TB.
Source: Conference 2024
Intensified TB case finding and GeneXpert optimisation using chest X-rays with computer-aided detection (CAD) in Kenyan hospitals
Implementation of AI-enhanced surveillance of all chest X-rays CXRs within health facilities is a scalable and sustainable model for enhancing tuberculosis (TB) case detection in Kenya while simultaneously optimising limited TB laboratory investments. Optimizing use of this technology by reviewing the existing CAD thresholds has the potential to further improve GeneXpert testing prioritisation, and yields.
Source: Conference 2024