{"id":29417,"date":"2026-03-25T20:26:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T17:26:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/?p=29417"},"modified":"2026-03-25T22:27:32","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T19:27:32","slug":"cycling-for-change-a-journey-to-break-the-silence-on-postpartum-depression-across-kenya","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/cycling-for-change-a-journey-to-break-the-silence-on-postpartum-depression-across-kenya\/","title":{"rendered":"Cycling for Change: A Journey to Break the Silence on Postpartum Depression Across Kenya."},"content":{"rendered":"

By Sharon Onyango<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nA powerful movement is unfolding across Kenya, driven by purpose, resilience, and the urgent need to confront a silent but growing crisis: mental health. The campaign specifically targets Postpartum Depression (PPD), a condition that continues to affect many mothers in isolation.<\/p>\n

Today, the Siaya County Department of Health and Sanitation was honored to host this impactful initiative led by Ben Haggai, a member of Black Cyclist for Africa. Mr. Haggai is on an inspiring cross-country journey that began in Mombasa and has traversed Nairobi and Kisumu before arriving in Siaya. His route continues toward Kakamega and Bungoma , concluding in Uasin Gishu with visits to major regional hospitals.<\/p>\n

Originally inspired by a long-distance cycling expedition from Kenya to South Africa to raise awareness for Turner Syndrome (TS), Haggai\u2019s mission has evolved. It is now a broad based campaign addressing pressing mental health challenges, with a dedicated focus on maternal well-being.<\/p>\n

At its core, the campaign emphasizes that postpartum depression is a real and urgent medical issue that is often overlooked.<\/p>\n

\"Depression doesn\u2019t wait,it\u2019s a ticking time bomb,\" says Mr. Haggai.<\/p>\n

He is a vocal advocate for mandatory PPD screening, stressing that early detection is the only way to prevent long-term suffering for mothers and their families. Systematic screening allows for timely treatment and opens the door for essential follow up.<\/p>\n

Dr. Joan Ahero, a psychiatrist, noted that while hormonal shifts, emotional stress, and a lack of support systems contribute significantly to PPD, many women suffer in silence due to the heavy weight of social stigma and limited awareness.<\/p>\n

Supporting the advocacy, Dr. Peter Omoth welcomed and commended Mr. Haggai\u2019s efforts. Dr. Omoth urged Community Health Promoters (CHPs) to take a leading role in the fight against PPD. He emphasized that CHPs are uniquely positioned to identify early warning signs during routine household visits and maternal follow ups.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nThe initiative underscores that lasting change requires a collective effort. By involving caregivers, families, and health systems, the movement aims to ensure that no mother has to navigate the challenges of mental health alone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Sharon Onyango A powerful movement is unfolding across Kenya, driven by purpose, resilience, and the urgent need to confront a silent but growing crisis: mental health. The campaign specifically targets Postpartum Depression (PPD), a condition that continues to affect many mothers in isolation. Today, the Siaya County Department of Health and Sanitation was honored […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":29420,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[95],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29417","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-updates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29417","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29417"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29417\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29420"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29417"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29417"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29417"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}