As a society in the post-Covid years, we’re placing more value than ever on our health. There’s also a greater awareness dawning that true health is about staying well through small and steady habits rather than treating disease once it’s manifested. The healthcare community as a whole – whether it’s doctors, specialists, hospitals or medical aids – are also shifting their focus towards prediction, prevention and early intervention of disease.
The logic here is sound: treating a condition in its earliest stages (or, even better, preventing it entirely) costs far less than managing a chronic or advanced illness does, both financially and in terms of quality of life. A 2023 report from the South African Medical Research Council found that diseases like hypertension, diabetes and heart disease now account for more than 40% of adult deaths in South Africa, yet they’re largely preventable. But here’s the good news: You don’t need a medical degree or an unlimited budget to take meaningful action to prevent these and other diseases. Here are four practical tips to help you move from reactive to proactive when it comes to your health.
Make screenings a non-negotiable part of your life
Age-appropriate screenings are among the most cost-effective health prevention tools available. Diseases such as cervical cancer, colorectal cancer and breast cancer — all of which are highly treatable when caught early — are often diagnosed late in South Africa due to low screening uptake. In the same way, things like regular eye tests, dental checkups and skin exams can catch problems before they become expensive emergencies or chronic conditions. It’s also true that the earlier a condition is identified, the greater the range of treatment options available, and the lower the cost of addressing it.
It's a good idea to think of screenings as part of everyday life, rather than as something you do only when you're worried. By the time you notice something is wrong, your window of opportunity may have already narrowed, and the treatment you need may be more expensive and time consuming. Treating regular screenings as an “annual audit” of your body makes any conditions you may have far more manageable.
Know your numbers
Most people only show symptoms of conditions like high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol or pre-diabetes when they’ve been silently progressing for a while. A Health Risk Assessment (HRA) is one of the simplest and most effective tools available for detecting diseases before they show symptoms, as it measures and provides a clear snapshot of key biometric markers such as blood pressure, BMI, blood glucose and cholesterol levels. If you’re on a medical aid, you may have this covered as part of your plan’s benefits. Fedhealth members, for example, can complete an HRA so they know where they stand with their health checks – plus they’ll be rewarded for it with additional savings from the Day-to-day plus benefit that is offered on their range of flexiFED plans.
Change your behaviour
Sustainable health improvements rarely come just from exercising willpower: they come from building better systems within your life. Small, consistent behaviours, whether it’s replacing one sugary drink a day with water or parking further away and then walking to your destination, may seem minor, but they actually compound dramatically over time. In his book “Atomic Habits”, James Clear talks about how when habits are tied to identity (e.g., "I am a runner") rather than outcomes ("I want to lose weight”) they last longer. This is because they become part of a person's core self – and that person is then less prone to relapse.
If you struggle to sustain healthy habits on your own, getting a professional involved can help. For example, a personal trainer can help you structure a fitness programme, or a life coach can help you carve out the time you need to develop healthy habits. This approach gives you a good scaffolding to begin with, which you can then build on over time.
Build a relationship with your GP
A primary care doctor who knows your full health history is one of the most valuable ways to keep your health in check, yet many of us only visit a GP when something goes wrong. Regular check-ins mean that your doctor can track changes over time, catch red flags early and give you personalised guidance before a small concern becomes a much bigger issue. If your doctor knows your baseline health markers, they can be dramatically better at identifying when something has shifted, even subtly. Unfortunately, a once-off appointment with an unfamiliar doctor can’t replicate that.
Disease prevention isn’t about being obsessive or anxious about your health. Rather, it’s about being informed and intentional. Healthcare trends are moving in this direction, and the individuals who move with it will not only live longer, but live better. Start small, stay consistent, and you’ll see not only your health improve over time, but also your general well-being. Whether it’s requiring less medical intervention, being able to perform better at work or simply feeling happier, taking a preventative approach to health has many upsides, all of which are worth working towards.
