Carl Zeiss Supports the Global Fight Against Tuberculosis
25 Mar 2013In February, ZEISS delivered over 1,200 Primo Star iLED microscopes to Ethiopia. Further orders arrived recently from Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nigeria and Pakistan. Last year, the company delivered over 1,800 microscopes to tuberculosis centers in the affected regions.
Currently, around one third of the world's population is infected with tuberculosis pathogens. The fluorescence microscope supports medical personnel in remote regions in the fast and reliable diagnosis of tuberculosis on site. Due to its energy-saving LED illumination and high performance batteries, Primo Star iLED may also be used in areas with no power supply.
Carl Zeiss plays an active role in the combat of tuberculosis worldwide and is a member of the Stop TB Initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO founded this program in 2006 with the aim of eliminating tuberculosis by 2050. ZEISS developed Primo Star iLED together with the Swiss Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND). One aspect of this collaboration is that health facilities in the worst-hit countries may obtain Primo Star iLED at a greatly reduced price. The company is also involved in the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, which holds the Union Conference every year.