Kenyan households have increased their investment in preventative healthcare following the Covid-19 pandemic. Speaking at the launch of US-based Max International in the Kenyan Market, CEO Joseph F. Voyticky said the pandemic made people more conscious of the need for preventive health.
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Mr Voyticky said there has been a turnaround in many low- and middle-income households as more people embrace preventive healthcare. “People are now asking themselves what they can do proactively to be ready and healthy,” he said. “This will lead to large improvements in well-being, as it has been estimated that 63 percent of under-five mortality could be averted if households invested in preventive health products.”
Max International on 14th May 2022 launched its offices in Nairobi to tap the growing healthcare market in Kenya. Among its initiatives in Kenya is help people manage their weight, amidst growing cases of obesity in the country, and more so among those living in urban areas.
Mr Voyticky said increasing cases of obesity and overweight in Kenya are a major health concern, which the company, through its products, hopes to complement efforts by the Ministry of Health. If not addressed, he said weight and obesity issues can become a major health burden to the country.
Statistics by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, captured in a 2018 report, indicate that overweight and obesity in Kenya increase the risk for raised blood glucose levels and high blood pressure. In Kenya, CDC said, one study found the prevalence of obesity to be 60.3% among urban residents and 19.5% among rural residents.
The higher risk of obesity among women in urban areas of Kenya is associated with increased consumption of high-calorie and high-fat diets. It points out that a high proportion of women in Kenya are overweight or obese. “Our study indicates that women from urban areas and women with high socioeconomic status make up the largest proportion of women who are overweight or obese,” reads the report.
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Meanwhile, Mr Voyticky said the company will be expanding to the rest of East Africa. Kenya has a growing middle-class income earners, whom he said are increasingly investing in their wellbeing and more so now when the World Health Organisation has asked people to invest in boosting their immunity to fight diseases like COVID-19 and others.
Thousands of Kenyans are also expected to start earning through the distribution of Max International products at a time when unemployment is growing. “Max is committed to enhancing the health and longevity of people around the world using nutraceutical and personalized nutritional solutions that enhance the body’s ability to manage inflammation, oxidative stress, and the effects of the aging process while strengthening the human body’s natural immune system,” he said.
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