Kenyan men have been advised to embrace the culture of going for routine medical check-ups.
Gideon Gachihi, a chief clinician and an NCDs advocate, has expressed concern that men have poor health-seeking behaviour and only show up in hospital when they are very sick.
“There is something called health culture and the way people behave I would like to tell you that it is worse with men, you will never see a man going to hospital unless they are almost dying,” Gachihi said.
Gachihi who spoke during an interview on NTV emphasized the need for a preventive approach such as regular screening for diseases to avoid treating full-blown conditions at late stages.
"It is just a personal decision that someone has to inculcate and ensure that they see that the best way not to be sick is to have a preventive approach whereby you don’t have to become sick to go and see a medical practitioner,” he said.
“I think if we can be able to change our mentality, change our behaviour, change the way we perceive health then I foresee that the health status of Kenya will be very good.”
Poor health-seeking behaviour among men has partly been blamed on cultural and patriarchal norms which have continually impacted the chauvinistic character of men regarding their health.
Some view hospitals as ‘women's spaces’ and develop the mentality that health-seeking should be for women and children.
This has made most of them care less about their health and only seek care during emergencies or in the later stages of preventable illnesses.
A study conducted in Siaya in 2013 and the findings published in December 2019 found that the introduction of male-friendly health services could encourage men to seek preventive care and increase service uptake.
The project involved men being seen by a male clinical officer at a unit separate from the clinic that caters to women and children.
The male health workers offered a range of services for common ailments as well as preventive care which included HIV testing, STI screening, and blood pressure checks and the men were referred if necessary.
This saw an increase in the uptake of health services among men in the pilot villages.
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