Health Tech

Japan and Philippines Grant Marks Major Step for AI in Remote TB Screening

In a landmark move that underlined the growing convergence between international development and high technology, the Japan government committed a grant of ¥370 million to the Philippines for a project titled “Project for Strengthening Screening System for Tuberculosis in the Remote Areas.” The agreement signed in Manila on October 16 by Ambassador Endō Kazuya, and officials of the UNOPS, marks a strong technology-enabled health initiative. The grant will cover portable X-ray equipment and medical image diagnosis support systems powered by AI for deployment in remote Filipino regions. Why this matters But for the Philippines, the timing could not be more critical. The country recorded close to 739,000 new cases of TB in 2023 with an incidence rate of approximately 643 per 100,000 — among the highest burden countries globally. Also…