MinXray Portable X-ray Systems Play a Critical Role in Diagnosing People with Tuberculosis in Nigeria:

A Case Study from Our Partners with the Janna Health Foundation in Yola

Written by Dr. Robyn Christine Waite, March 2025

Nigeria has one of the highest rates of tuberculosis (TB) disease in the world. One major contributor to this problem is the lack of access to early diagnosis, which catches the disease when it is most treatable and helps prevent further spread. In the last few years however, Nigeria has significantly increased the number of people with TB who are diagnosed with the disease. Resultantly, the country has seen a sharp decrease in the number of people dying from the world’s deadliest infectious disease.

MinXray is proud to have played a role in this success story. Our ultra-portable radiography system “Impact” allows grassroots organizations like the Janna Health Foundation to bring TB screening to people where they are. In December 2024, we visited their team to witness our motto, “where you care, we’re there,” in action. This is the story of MinXray in Yola, Nigeria.

MinXray Reaches Nomadic Communities

The goal of our two-day trip with the Janna Health Foundation was to utilize funding from the Stop TB Partnership’s TB REACH granting mechanism to travel to nomadic communities and screen the village for TB. When people are screened for TB, they can receive the care that they need, while protecting their communities from further disease spread.

When we arrived in the community, people quickly crowded around to greet us. As Dr. Stephen John of Janna Health Foundation explains in the video below, our bright yellow ultra-portable radiography system tends to draw a crowd willing and excited to be screened for TB, which is exactly the response we want when trying to reach people with public health interventions.

National Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme, 2024 Data Centre

WHO, 2024 Global TB Report

We spoke to members of the community to learn more about why they showed up to be screened for to TB that day.

When we arrived to Abdulkarim’s community to screen people for TB using a MinXray ultra-portable radiography system, he explained how he hadn't sought medical care in years. The trek to the nearest health facility was just too far and cost too much of his time and money. He was happy to be screened for TB because he didn’t have to leave the safety of his community to access care. He also trusted the Janna Health Foundation team because they had previously come to his village and weren’t charging him any money for the screening.

When we met Rabi, she was excited to be screened for TB. As a leader in her community tasked with encouraging and educating others about the infectious disease and importance of being treated if sick, she was first in line to get a chest X-ray. While Rabi's chest X-ray image showed no evidence of TB, staff with Janna Health did discover that she wasn't feeling well and connected her with additional services at a nearby health facility. If the Janna Health Foundation team hadn't brought a TB screening campaign to her community, Rabi would not have been diagnosed and treated for malaria. We hope that she is feeling better and cured from malaria today!

At the end of our two-day screening campaign, 64 people in total had a Chest X-Ray taken out of which three people were diagnosed with TB (including 1 Bac+); they were all actively linked to the treatment center where their treatment was commenced.

TB screening is a life saving service. Undiagnosed and untreated TB has a mortality rate of about 50 percent, and one individual with active disease can spread it to up to 15 people in a year. However, early diagnosis and effective treatment leads to cure in more than 90 percent of individuals. 

Because most TB is pulmonary (in the lungs) and active disease shows lesions, as radiologist Dr. Najib Muhammad Yaro explains in the below video “chest X-ray [is] very very important and central in the diagnosis of tuberculosis."

The MinXray ultra-portable Impact system is proving to be the ideal chest X-ray tool for reaching and screening people for TB. In the below video we created from our trip, Dr. Stephen John and colleagues explain just how valuable the Impact radiography system has been to their local fight against TB. The system is easy and quick to use, portable enough to reach even the most remote communities, superior in X-ray image quality and offers the capability to screen hundreds of people a day!

Not only does the Janna Health Foundation see value in the MinXray system for reaching and screening people where they are, they expressed appreciation for our professional and quick training, how fast it is to set the system up and our AI integration that provides immediate and accurate image assessment.

Training Video

Set Up Process Video

AI Integration Video

Screening Options Within the Community

After seeing the power of the MinXray Impact system in action, our team wanted to see what the alternatives to portability looked like in the area. Dr. Stephen John took us to a local hospital to demonstrate another option for X-ray imaging. Below you can see images of the radiography equipment in the hospital.

The differences in experience for the patient and healthcare staff alike are stark. In this example, people in need of an X-ray image must travel to get to the hospital. Then they typically must wait for long periods of time for an image to be taken. The system also offered little flexibility for the comfort of sick or injured patients, as they are required to position themselves on the table.. After their image is taken, they must wait again for the image to be processed and read using traditional analogue methods that do not guarantee quality imaging or accuracy in diagnosis. The photos and experience in this hospital are fortunately not always the reality. In addition to the multiple Impact units through the country, MinXray is happy to have delivered over 100 systems for use in clinic settings like these in Nigeria. These options offer the flexibility and elevated capability of the Impact system, while also remaining grounded in a healthcare facility where patients have access to a number of specialists and other medical resources.

As an alternative, MinXray ultra-portable systems bring X-ray imaging to the patient, maximizing both comfort and convenience. MinXray digital radiography can also be paired with AI platforms for interpretation, which ensures the highest image quality and a more accurate diagnosis, relieving the burden on radiologists and improving overall care for the patient.

Learn more and request a quote for Impact Wireless today here: Impact Wireless Battery Powered DR System | MinXray