A patient looks at a chart as she prepares to undergo a mammogram X-ray to look for early signs of breast cancer in the radiology unit at the Kenyatta National Hospital.
Every day, many people quietly defer their health - skipping check-ups, ignoring early warning signs, or postponing sensitive conversations about mental and sexual wellbeing. It’s a familiar thought: “I’ll deal with it later.”
But too often, “later” becomes too late.
Kenya is facing a health crisis that rarely makes front-page news, but it should. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and mental health conditions, now account for nearly 40 per cent of all deaths in the country, according to the World Health Organization. These illnesses don’t develop overnight. They progress silently over months or years, often only becoming visible when the situation turns critical. They reflect a wider challenge: our national approach to health remains too reactive.
In most cases, many still seek healthcare only when something goes wrong. But this approach leads to loss of lives, livelihoods, and peace of mind. It drains family finances, strains hospital resources, and reduces productivity in workplaces.
We need to ask: How do we shift this mindset? How do we build a culture where wellness is as important as treatment?
At AAR Healthcare, we are seeing encouraging signs of change. More Kenyans are embracing preventive care signing up for wellness packages that include regular check-ups, mental health consultations, sexual health services, nutrition advice, and virtual follow-ups. These services are not “extras” for the privileged. They are essential for anyone who wants to live a longer, healthier life
Sexual wellness, for instance, is often left out of the conversation, yet issues like reproductive cancers, infertility, sexually transmitted infections, and sexual dysfunction deeply affect quality of life. Mental health is equally critical. Ignoring these aspects of wellness delays care and sometimes costs lives.
Prevention, simply put, benefits everyone. It strengthens individuals and families, reduces the emotional and financial shock of emergency care, and makes the entire healthcare system more sustainable.
We cannot wait for an emergency to prioritize health. Every day we delay care; we raise the risk of more serious and more expensive outcomes. Prevention isn’t just cheaper; it’s smarter.
To make this shift a reality, collaboration is essential. Healthcare providers must continue making preventive services accessible and affordable. Employers have an opportunity to foster wellness-friendly workplaces, where regular check-ups and sexual health conversations are normalized, not sidelined. And as individuals, we all need to rethink how we approach our health - not as a crisis to respond to, but as a daily investment.
Kenya has the expertise, the tools, and the services to make this change. What remains is the will.
The question is no longer whether preventive care works - we know it does.
The real question is: Are we ready to embrace it as the new
standard?
Elizabeth Wasunna is the general manager, AAR Healthcare
Kenya
