THE
YOUR HEALTH:
Why annual screenings matter in 2026
Between the demands of work, taking care of a family and perhaps even trying to fit in some semblance of social enjoyment, maintaining your own and your loved ones’ long-term health and wellbeing can become less of a priority. You might even wait until a problem arises to get health concerns checked.
For those in their mid-thirties and early forties, however, the biggest threats to long term wellbeing rarely announce themselves with pain or cause for alarm. Conditions such as high blood pressure, elevated blood glucose, high cholesterol and early stage cancers tend to progress quietly, only becoming apparent when they have advanced significantly, and often in later years when there is less you can do to help matters.
If this sounds like you, you wouldn’ t be the only one potentially neglecting your own and your family’ s future health. Non-Communicable Diseases( NCDs) are now among the leading causes of death and disability in South Africa, responsible for 51 % of all deaths. These are driven by lifestyle factors such as limited physical activity, diet patterns and stress.
‘ We have seen numerous provincial health authorities across the country highlighting a rapid rise in NCDs and have launched community screening campaigns to address issues such as elevated blood glucose and blood pressure before complications arise,’ says Dr Themba Hadebe, Clinical Executive at Bonitas Medical Fund.‘ This is evidence of the national push towards early detection and prevention as key tools in controlling the NCD epidemic, and it’ s important that all South Africans start taking their health more seriously.’
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Bonitas Member Magazine Issue 1 / 2026