Healthcare meets the town square
On a sunny Saturday morning in Santa Fe de Antioquia, a white tent appeared in the main plaza. A hand-painted sign read "Detección Gratuita de Diabetes." Within an hour, a line of 50 people had formed — elderly women, farmers, shopkeepers, teenagers dragged by their mothers.
This scene repeated itself across 12 towns in Colombia's Antioquia department between August and September 2025, as TNL Labs and its Colombian partner Metabolomix executed an ambitious free diabetes screening campaign.
The results were sobering
Of the 3,000 people screened, 24.7% had fasting glucose levels indicating pre-diabetes (100-125 mg/dL), and 8.2% had levels consistent with undiagnosed diabetes (above 126 mg/dL). Among participants over 50, the combined pre-diabetes and diabetes rate was 41%.
"These are people who go to the doctor only when they're already very sick," said Dr. Juliana Ospina of Metabolomix. "By bringing the screening to the plaza — where they buy their groceries, where they meet their friends — we removed every barrier to access."
Nutritional counseling adapted to local diets
Each screening site included a nutritional counseling station where dietitians discussed how to modify traditional Colombian dishes — arepas, bandeja paisa, sancocho — to reduce glycemic impact without abandoning cultural food traditions. Participants received printed recipe cards with healthier versions of their favorite meals.
What happens next
Every person identified with pre-diabetes or diabetes received a referral letter to their nearest EPS (health insurance provider) and a 30-day supply of glucose testing strips. TNL Labs and Metabolomix plan to repeat the campaign in Valle del Cauca and Santander in early 2026.
For more information, visit tnlmedical.com.
