Radio Africa Group Human Resource Manager Jemima Ngode among employees exercising during the medical sensitisation at Lion Place on September 24, 2026 / NANCY AGUTU A medical doctor has urged Radio Africa Group staff to prioritise preventive healthcare and make wellness part of their daily routines to reduce the risk of lifestyle-related diseases.
Dr Boniface Onsongo of Equity Afya was speaking during a sensitisation session on acute and chronic diseases held at Radio Africa offices, Westlands.
Dr Onsongo urged workers to pay closer attention to lifestyle factors that can increase their risk of chronic illnesses, including stress, anxiety and obesity.
He said understanding the causes and triggers of diseases can help people identify risk factors that can be prevented or modified through lifestyle changes.
“The question comes in: what is the cause? And what is the trigger? We normally say lifestyle medicine: every disease has a cause. Some causes might be preventable, some might be not easy to prevent or to modify,” he said.
Onsongo said people may begin experiencing signs of lifestyle-related health problems from their 30s, including high cholesterol.
“We start seeing the first sign of a possible lifestyle disease. That's why you start seeing cholesterol,” he said.
He explained that elevated cholesterol can be associated
with metabolic syndrome and may increase the risk of high blood pressure and
high blood sugar, also known as insulin resistance.
Equity Afya Medical Doctor Bonface Onsongo during a presentation at Radio Africa Group offices on September 24, 2026 / PERPETUA ETYANG
The doctor said there was a need to shift the focus from treating illnesses to maintaining wellness, noting that preventive measures can help reduce the need for medication.
Onsongo warned that although life expectancy is increasing to about 70 years, healthy life expectancy is declining, meaning people may live longer while spending more years in poor health.
He encouraged workers to undergo an annual wellness check-up to monitor their health and detect potential problems early.
According to Onsongo, the check-up should include a general doctor's consultation, measurement of body vital signs, body composition assessment and nutritional consultation.
He also recommended Wellman and Wellwoman services, as well as regular dental and optical check-ups.
Onsongo further urged workers to pay attention to their
mental and social wellbeing, while finding healthy ways to manage emotions and
stress.
Radio Africa Group staff Joyce Obimbo and Business Development Officer Joy Wairimu at RAG offices / VICTOR IMBOTO
“The first thing you need to do is work on your mental health, your financial health, work on your social health, then you become so productive here in Radio Africa,” he said.
He also encouraged workers to engage in regular physical exercise and incorporate movement into their daily routines, including at the workplace.
Onsongo identified cardiovascular diseases as the leading cause of death globally, followed by cancers and digestive diseases.
He said adopting a wellness-focused approach and making
preventive healthcare part of everyday routines could help workers maintain
better health and improve productivity.
Lab Technician Mellisa Rhoda and Radio Africa Group staff Francis Maingi / VICTOR IMBOTO
The Medical Camp was courtesy of Radio Africa and Star Publications, in partnership with Equity Afya.
Radio Africa Group Human Resource Manager Jemima Ngode welcomed the team and urged RAG staff to take advantage of the camp to know their health status.
