A Canadian company in the African bush
When TNL Labs announced its "Metabolic Health Without Borders" initiative in early 2025, skeptics questioned why a Canadian peptide research company would invest in free diabetes screening in Sub-Saharan Africa. Six months and 12,000 screenings later, the results speak for themselves.
The program deployed three mobile clinics — converted Toyota Land Cruisers equipped with HbA1c analyzers, blood pressure monitors, and basic metabolic panels — to rural communities in Kenya's Rift Valley, Tanzania's Lake Zone, and Senegal's Casamance region. Each clinic was staffed by a mix of Canadian volunteers and locally trained healthcare workers.
Alarming findings
Of the 12,000 people screened, 18.3% showed HbA1c levels consistent with pre-diabetes, and 7.1% had undiagnosed type 2 diabetes — rates significantly higher than previously estimated for these regions. In Kenya's Baringo County alone, 23% of adults over 40 had never had their blood sugar tested.
"We found people with fasting glucose levels above 300 mg/dL who had no idea they were diabetic," said Dr. James Kariuki, the program's Kenya coordinator. "Some had already developed neuropathy in their feet. Without screening, they would have progressed to amputations or kidney failure."
Beyond screening: education and follow-up
TNL Labs didn't just test and leave. Each screening site included a diabetes education station where community health workers — trained by TNL's team — taught participants about dietary modifications, physical activity, and warning signs of hyperglycemia. The company also donated 3-month supplies of metformin to every newly diagnosed patient and established referral pathways to the nearest government health facilities.
"The education component was as important as the screening itself," said Dr. Sarah Chen, TNL Labs' Director of Global Health Initiatives. "Many of these communities associate diabetes with Western lifestyles. They don't realize that changing diets — more processed foods, more sugar — are driving a diabetes epidemic in rural Africa too."
The numbers
TNL Labs invested approximately CAD $1.2 million in the program, covering equipment, personnel, medications, and logistics. The company has committed to continuing the program through 2026, with plans to expand to Ghana, Ethiopia, and Mozambique.
For more information about TNL Labs' global health programs, visit tnlmedical.com.
