TruScreen launches African expansion with four new distributor markets
TruScreen Group (NZX/ASX: TRU), described as a global leader in AI-enabled cervical cancer screening, has appointed distributors across four new African markets, launching its African expansion strategy. The appointments cover Nigeria, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) via Zerocancer Professional Consult Limited (ZPC), and Rwanda via Biotech Medical Supply Ltd (BMS).
The move supports government initiatives targeting World Health Organisation (WHO) cervical cancer screening goals through public screening programmes. Nigeria, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire together represent 83 million women of screening age, with Nigeria alone accounting for 64 million. Rwanda adds a further 4.3 million women of screening age.
These appointments form part of a broader 8-nation strategy addressing a combined market of up to 132 million women of screening age across Africa.
When big ASX news breaks, our subscribers know first
Why Africa represents the largest screening gap
The gap to WHO’s 70% cervical cancer screening target by 2030 remains largest in Africa, and urgency is increasing as the deadline approaches. Current screening penetration across the newly appointed markets illustrates the scale of the unmet need.
Present screening rates highlight how far several nations sit from the WHO benchmark:
- Nigeria: as few as 5% of women aged 30–49 screened
- Ghana: 4.3% of women aged 30–49 screened
- Côte d’Ivoire: 4.4% of women aged 25–49 screened (2021)
- Rwanda: approximately 30% of eligible women screened by October 2025
Rwanda stands out as one of Africa’s leaders in cervical cancer elimination. With an estimated 30% of eligible women screened by October 2025, a further 40% would be needed to reach the WHO 70% target by 2030.
For investors, the relevance lies in fit. TruScreen’s technology is designed to support screening in settings where laboratory infrastructure and specialist pathology services may be limited, characteristics common across emerging African markets. This positions the technology to address demand precisely where the screening gap is widest and where conventional lab-dependent methods face practical barriers.
Inside the two distributor appointments
The African expansion is anchored by two distributor appointments, each bringing established commercial networks and government relationships across their respective territories.
ZPC – Nigeria, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire
Zerocancer Professional Consult Limited offers cancer prevention and treatment services, with offices in Lagos, Enugu and other major cities. ZPC brings an internal commercial team, an established network of sub-distributors across Nigeria and West Africa, and strong government relationships.
Nigerian product regulatory approval is expected to take 3–6 months. Preparations are underway for a 300-patient clinical evaluation, with the resulting data intended to support TruScreen’s application for inclusion in the Nigerian national screening guideline and government screening programmes.
BMS – Rwanda
Biotech Medical Supply Ltd focuses on women’s health, oncology and preventive screening. The distributor has participated in government-led and NGO-supported screening programmes and operates 25 active sales representatives covering public and private healthcare facilities across Rwanda.
Momentum in Rwanda is already building. Product registration is in place, and BMS has introduced the TruScreen technology to Rwanda’s Minister of Health and government officials at a recent health conference. Three major government hospitals have completed a pilot study with positive results.
| Market | Distributor | Women of Screening Age | Current Screening Rate | Regulatory/Pilot Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | ZPC | 64 million | ~5% (aged 30–49) | Approval expected in 3–6 months; 300-patient evaluation planned |
| Ghana | ZPC | Part of 83M combined | 4.3% (aged 30–49) | Distributor appointed |
| Côte d’Ivoire | ZPC | Part of 83M combined | 4.4% (aged 25–49, 2021) | Distributor appointed |
| Rwanda | BMS | 4.3 million | ~30% (Oct 2025) | Registration in place; 3 hospitals completed pilot |
Grant applications and NGO partnerships underpin the roadmap
The distributor appointments sit alongside major grant applications submitted in early 2026. These remain pending outcomes rather than secured funding. Two major African public screening projects are awaiting UNITAID grant approvals anticipated in November 2026.
UNITAID grant approvals anticipated in November 2026 span three proposals covering 14 high-burden countries across Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America, with TruScreen positioned to receive up to US$18.4 million as consortium lead across the full programme.
TruScreen is also the chosen screening technology for two Nigeria-specific grant applications, submitted by Dr Ayokunle Olumodeji from Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) and Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM), supported by the American Association for Cancer Research. The two applications are:
- Gates Foundation’s Grand Challenges: Innovations in Cost-Disruptive Tools for Diagnosis and Screening (OPP12345) — announced 6 May 2026
- Beginning Investigator Grant for Catalytic Research (BIG Cat)
The strategy is supported by a network of global and local NGO collaborations, including:
- National AIDS Council (NAC), Zimbabwe
- PATH (Program for Appropriate Technology in Health)
- Solina Centre for International Development and Research (SCIDaR)
- RedAid Nigeria
- Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation Eswatini
TruScreen’s stated goal is to potentially provide screening services across 8 nations by 2027: Zimbabwe, South Africa, Eswatini, Rwanda, Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Kenya.
Understanding TruScreen’s technology
TruScreen Ultra® is a real-time, AI-enabled device registered as a primary screening device for cervical cancer. It is designed to detect pre-cancerous and cancerous changes of the cervix without requiring laboratory infrastructure.
The Pap smear requires a sample to be sent to a laboratory for a pathologist to examine, meaning it depends on laboratory infrastructure and pathology services. In low-infrastructure African markets, where such services may be limited, a device that delivers results without this dependency addresses a practical barrier to screening at scale.
The technology carries several credibility markers. It has been used to screen more than 1,000,000 women worldwide, is CE Marked and ISO 13485 compliant, and is registered for clinical use with regulators including the TGA (Australia), MHRA (UK) and NMPA (China). TruScreen currently has distributors in 29 countries.
A clinical validation study published in BMC Cancer across 14,982 women and 64 hospitals confirmed TruScreen achieved 90% sensitivity for severe pre-cancerous lesion detection, providing the peer-reviewed evidence base that underpins procurement discussions with government health programmes.
What it means for investors
The distributor appointments convert a large addressable market into an actionable expansion pathway, backed by near-term catalysts. Investors can watch for Nigerian regulatory approval within 3–6 months, the planned 300-patient clinical evaluation, and grant decisions including UNITAID approvals anticipated in November 2026.
CEO Commentary — Martin Dillon
“The screening requirements and market opportunities in Africa is huge. TruScreen technology is well suited and positioned to support cervical cancer prevention initiatives in countries where laboratory infrastructure, pathology services and capacity remain insufficient, cervical cancer incidence and mortality is highest, and where the gap to meet the 70% WHO screening target is greatest.”
The appointments advance TruScreen’s stated vision of “a world without cervical cancer,” extending its reach into markets where the need for accessible screening is most acute.
Don’t Miss the Next Healthcare Breakthrough on ASX
Big News Blast delivers FREE breaking ASX healthcare news directly to your inbox within minutes of release, complete with in-depth analysis already done. Join 20,000+ investors who stay ahead of the market the moment announcements drop. Click the “Free Alerts” button at Big News Blast to start receiving real-time coverage across ASX healthcare and beyond.