ATHLETES URGED TO MAINTAIN HIGH HEALTH STANDARDS
The CEC Member for Health and Sanitation Ruth Koech, has encouraged sportsmen and women in the county to continue to maintain a sustained and high level of performance in their respective sporting fields.
“Constantly work to hone your skills in your chosen sport and maintain high standards of physical fitness,” she urged, noting that sports served as a source of unity and upliftment for the county and country’s men and women,” she said.
She was addressing the Nandi Sports team at Kilibwoni Health Center who are headed to Kapenguria in West Pokot County for a tournament. 
She encouraged the team on good nutrition and physical activity and wellness and the need to maintain a high level of discipline and integrity, both on and off the field of sports, to strive for excellence, and remain humble even when they are excelling.
She called on athletes to be routinely screened for mental health symptoms across a range of metrics such as sleep, nutrition and injury and mental health should be treated no differently.
The CEC Member said that there’s need to address the everyday wellness of our sportsmen and women rather than wait for a situation to reach crisis point and then intervene.
“Many people think that accessing mental health support is only for someone with a major issue or concern but that is not the case at all. We encourage athletes to use the services we have available at our health facilities to just check in, talk to someone about what is happening in their life and help them to understand and work through any concerns they may have,” she said.
Ruth said there’s need to make sure that mental health needs are also being identified as early as possible to prevent issues from worsening and providing proper support and treatment. It’s a case of ‘if you don’t ask, they won’t tell,’ so screening is definitely needed.
The County Department of Health and Sanitation aims to improve mental health by strengthening effective leadership and governance, providing comprehensive, integrated and responsive community-based care, implementing promotion and prevention strategies, and strengthening information systems.