Project: TB Reach

Date: May 2024

Photo Credit: Mikkel Broholt/Stop TB Partnership

In May 2024, the Stop TB Partnership participated in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record of operating an X-ray machine at the highest altitude ever. The attempt took place at 5644m in Kala Pattar, on Mt Everest, on 16 May 2024. The initiative aimed to raise awareness and demonstrate the effectiveness of ultra-portable digital X-ray technology combined with artificial intelligence (AI) in diagnosing TB in remote and underserved areas. The X-ray equipment was showcased twice: first in Namche Bazaar, where it was used to screen local porters and sherpas, and then at the Himalayan Rescue Association’s health facility in Pheriche (4266m), during an official handover ceremony. During the screening activities, the team met with a little Nepalese girl and gifted her a Hello Kitty plush.