Doctors for Healthy Living (D4HL), in partnership with the Ministry of Health (MoH), hosted a day-long employee wellness check at The National Treasury on Friday 7th November 2025. This marked the second wellness event conducted by D4HL at a National Government Ministry, following the inaugural session held at the MoH’s Afya House headquarters, on 14th May 2025 ahead of World Hypertension Day.
The wellness check at the National Treasury served as a build-up activity to the World Diabetes Day 2025 (WDD 2025), which will be commemorated globally on 14th November 2025 under the theme, “Diabetes and the workplace.”
The event saw more than 160 employees screened, learning their five critical health numbers: blood pressure, blood sugar, waist circumference, cholesterol levels and body mass index (BMI).
“I appreciated the opportunity to know my five numbers and how I can change my lifestyle to minimise chances of suffering from serious illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity,” said one National Treasury staff member who discovered their cholesterol level for the first time during the wellness check.
The screening stations, which were open between 8.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m. were run by health professionals deployed by the MoH, who included clinicians, lab technicians, nurses and nutritionists.
inaugural wellness check for a Government Ministry was held at the Headquarters of the MoH at Afya House on 14th May 2025 in the run up to the World Hypertension Day which is commemorated annually on 17th May.
The Know Your Numbers campaign is D4HL’s flagship initiative that empowers Kenyans to take charge of their health by tracking five key health markers for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). These markers are crucial for the early detection and management of cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease, stroke, hypertension as well as diabetes and kidney disease. Keeping these numbers within healthy ranges helps prevent long-term compllications and promote overall well-being.
The inaugural workplace wellness screening at the MoH Headquarters in May 2025, part of the global May Measurement Month for hypertension awareness, set a strong precedent. During that event, senior MoH officials – including Director General for Health, Dr. Patrick Amoth, and the Head of the Division of Cancer and NCDs, Dr. Gladwell Gathecha, participated in the screening, demonstrating leadership by example and reaffirming the Ministry’s support for D4HL’s mission to build a national movement for NCD prevention.
D4HL’s focus on workplace health screenings underscores the importance of normalising health awareness beyond healthcare facility settings. By bringing screening to employees, D4HL helps to draw attention to the role of lifestyle habits in preventing chronic diseases and builds a culture of proactive wellness in the workplace.
Research underscores this link: a 2025 seminal study by McKinsey and Company found that investing in holistic employee health can unlock up to $12 trillion in global economic value through improved productivity and reduced absenteeism.
In Kenya, with the rising burden of NCDs, the National Strategic Plan for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) (2020/21-2025/26) provides the framework for national response, focusing on promoting healthy lifestyles, strengthening health systems and minimizing risk factors through five key pillars: coordination, advocacy, surveillance, health system response, and risk reduction.
By encouraging Kenya’s working population to know their health numbers, D4HL’s partnership with the public, private, and development sectors supports both national and global efforts to curb NCDs. Through these partnerships, D4HL aims to reach 50% of Kenya’s population by 2030, contributing to improved employee wellness, productivity, and overall economic growth.
The writer is the Programmes and Partnership Manager at Doctors for Healthy Living amugo@doctors4healthyliving.org.
