DeepTek has launched Global Access Pricing for its chest X-ray artificial intelligence solution, cutting the cost of DeepTek TB screening to about one third of its previous pricing for eligible programmes. The Pune company announced the model in November 2026, under an access agreement with Unitaid and the Clinton Health Access Initiative. The aim is to let national tuberculosis programmes expand screening within existing budgets.
Tuberculosis remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, claiming an estimated 1.23 million lives in 2024. Chest X-rays are a critical screening tool for early detection, but many high-burden countries face severe shortages of radiologists, which limits timely diagnosis and treatment. AI solutions that analyse chest X-ray images for signs of tuberculosis have been shown to perform on par with trained radiologists, according to the announcement.
The challenge, as DeepTek presents it, is no longer proving that the technology works. It is making it affordable at scale, within reach of the health systems that need it most. That framing drives the pricing model: eligible public sector and not-for-profit healthcare providers across 138 low and middle income countries can access the WHO-recommended solution at the lower price.
By reducing the cost of deployment, the model enables programmes to screen up to three times more people within existing budgets, according to DeepTek. That arithmetic matters for programmes that must choose how far a fixed budget stretches. More people screened, at the same total cost, means wider coverage and more cases found earlier, provided that follow-up testing and treatment capacity keep pace.
DeepTek TB screening: what the subscription covers
The annual subscription includes unlimited AI analyses per connected X-ray unit, along with installation, user training, product updates, maintenance and technical support, with no added costs for those items. The solution supports online, offline and hybrid deployment, so it can be used in hospitals, diagnostic centres, mobile screening units and remote facilities, even where connectivity is limited.
That deployment range matters for DeepTek TB screening programmes, which often screen in places far from a hospital radiology department. A mobile unit for DeepTek TB screening can carry an X-ray machine and the AI tool to a community, screen people on site, and refer those with suspicious findings for confirmatory testing. Offline working means a poor connection does not stop the screening session.
The solution also looks beyond tuberculosis. The DeepTek TB screening AI detects more than 20 clinically relevant chest abnormalities, and Global Access Pricing sets transparent pricing for additional indications such as cardiomegaly, silicosis and lung cancer. That lets health systems expand from tuberculosis screening to broader lung health screening through a single chest X-ray AI solution, rather than buying separate tools for each condition.
DeepTek TB screening: partners behind the price cut
Unitaid and the Clinton Health Access Initiative, known as CHAI, are the partners behind the access agreement. Unitaid is a global health organisation hosted by the World Health Organization, and it works to make health products available and affordable in low and middle income countries. CHAI works to save lives and reduce the burden of disease in those countries, while strengthening government and private sector capabilities.
Dr Philippe Duneton, Executive Director at Unitaid, said that by working with DeepTek to reduce the cost of AI interpretation software, Unitaid is helping make proven digital health innovations more accessible to countries. He said that at a time when funding constraints are threatening progress in tuberculosis detection, reducing the cost of diagnostic tools is critical to expanding access to timely diagnosis and care.
Marie Chantale Lepine, Vice President of Global Markets at CHAI, said AI-powered chest X-ray screening means health systems can efficiently identify those with potential tuberculosis disease, even when radiologists are not available. She said cutting the annual licensing cost means high burden countries can equip more mobile clinics and community health centres with the tools to expand screening services and identify tuberculosis early.
What the price cut means for programmes
For patients, the effect of DeepTek TB screening depends on where screening reaches. A lower price helps only if programmes use the saving to extend DeepTek TB screening to underserved communities, as DeepTek states as its goal. The DeepTek TB screening announcement presents that as the purpose of the model: to strengthen case finding, reach underserved communities and accelerate earlier diagnosis without compromising diagnostic quality.
Ajit Patil, co-founder and managing director at DeepTek, said healthcare programmes should never have to choose between quality and affordability, and that the new model brings the DeepTek TB screening solution within reach of more programmes. Dr Amit Kharat, co-founder and chief executive, said the opportunity now is to make that capability accessible at scale, so more people benefit from earlier detection and timely care.