CAD4TB+: A New Era for TB Detection and Surveillance - we launch the World’s first All-in-One TB Intelligence Platform

Tuberculosis remains the world’s deadliest infectious disease. Even today—despite being preventable and curable—TB continues to claim 1.25 million lives each year, with millions more going undetected. Reaching the people who need care most has long been one of the biggest barriers to ending TB.

At the World Conference on Lung Health, EPCON and Delft Imaging announced CAD4TB+, the world’s first integrated platform that brings TB screening, intelligence, nationwide surveillance, hotspot mapping, and predictive analytics together under one roof.

For the global TB community, this represents more than a technological upgrade. It signals a fundamental shift in how countries can detect, understand, and respond to the world’s most persistent airborne epidemic.

From Screening to Strategy — Without the Gaps

For decades, TB detection and surveillance have existed in separate worlds. Frontline teams screen patients in the field, while national programmes struggle to maintain a clear, consolidated picture of where TB transmission is happening and where resources should go next.

CAD4TB+ closes that gap.

By combining Delft Imaging’s proven AI chest X-ray technology with EPCON’s Epi-control platform, every chest X-ray becomes more than a diagnostic event—it becomes a meaningful data point that strengthens national intelligence systems.

Screening data collected in mobile units, health facilities, or remote villages now flows directly into a unified platform that helps Ministries of Health see:

• where TB is spreading,

• which communities are at highest risk,

• how interventions are performing,

• and where to act next.

This seamless flow of information—from the individual level to the national level—has the potential to transform TB programme efficiency worldwide.

Why This Partnership Matters

Guido Geerts, President & CEO of Delft Imaging, highlights the significance of the leap forward:

“Years ago, we established AI for TB with our CAD4TB solution, enabling large-scale screening and supporting the screening of over 55 million people for TB. Today, we are proud to take the next leap with EPCON. CAD4TB+ transforms every screening into an insight that helps close the detection gap and accelerate the path toward TB elimination.”

Caroline Van Cauwelaert, CEO of EPCON, emphasises the power of bringing detection and surveillance together:

“Our partnership with Delft Imaging focuses on bridging the gap between field diagnosis and national decision-making. By turning every chest X-ray into a meaningful data point, programmes can act with precision, allocate resources efficiently, and diagnose more people in less time. Together, we’re building stronger public health systems powered by data and AI.”

Real Results: Data-Driven Action That Accelerates Impact

The combined approach behind CAD4TB+ is not theoretical—its components have already shown measurable results in some of the world’s highest-burden settings.

Nigeria: More TB Detected in Less Time

Using hotspot mapping built from existing CAD4TB data, programmes increased TB positivity yields by up to 103% compared to conventional active case-finding methods.

South Africa: Lower Costs, Higher Efficiency

AI-enhanced targeting reduced the cost per undiagnosed TB case from $1,748 to $437, proving that smarter data use makes programmes more equitable and cost-effective.

These are early signals of what becomes possible when screening and surveillance operate in one unified system.

Predicting Tomorrow’s Outbreaks Today

Perhaps the most groundbreaking feature of CAD4TB+ is its ability not only to map hotspots but to predict them.

Using EPCON’s advanced modelling framework, national TB programmes can now anticipate where TB is likely to emerge next based on:

• demographic patterns,

• mobility data,

• environmental factors,

• and historical transmission trends.

This allows countries to shift from reactive strategies to proactive planning—helping them stay ahead of the disease rather than chase it.

A Needed Acceleration for Global Progress

The WHO Global TB Report 2024 shows that global TB incidence is declining at only 2% per year—far behind the 10% annual reduction needed to meet the 2035 End TB targets.

Platforms like CAD4TB+ bring the integrated, data-driven capability required to close this gap.

By empowering countries to detect earlier, target interventions more precisely, and understand their epidemics with far greater clarity, the EPCON–Delft Imaging partnership contributes to a stronger, faster, and more coordinated global TB response.

A Partnership Built for Large-Scale Impact

With Delft Imaging’s large install base across 80+ countries and EPCON’s growing presence supporting Ministries of Health worldwide, CAD4TB+ is uniquely positioned to scale quickly and deliver impact where it is needed most.

This integration ensures that every screening contributes not only to the care of one person but to the health security of entire communities.