Gail (48) is grateful her Personal Health Pathway recommended a Pap smear, picking up a treatable HPV infection before it became a serious condition

Gail Moerane (48) is a healthy, active mom of three sons - aged 5 to 20 - and hopes to summit Mount Kilimanjaro in the next two years.

When her Personal Health Pathway (PHP) recommended she go for a cervical cancer screening (in this case, a Pap smear) as her next best action, she didn't expect anything unusual from the results.

"To my surprise, the screening results showed that I had an active human papillomavirus (HPV) infection," says Gail, "which was the last thing I would have expected."

Gail received prompt treatment for the infection and now goes for regular follow-up consultations with her gynaecologist. "My doctor also said I may need to have the HPV vaccine in the future."

"It is thanks to Personal Health Pathways and that specific next best action, which I know was tailored to my personal health profile, that the HPV infection was picked up when it was. If I hadn't received that next best action at that time, I probably wouldn't have gone for the cervical cancer screening and the condition could have been much more serious by the time I did get checked or when any symptoms presented."

What is HPV?

Dr Noluthando Nematswerani, Chief Clinical Officer for Discovery Health explains, "HPV (human papillomavirus) is a common viral infection. According to Mayo Clinic, there are more than 100 types of HPV. Some types of HPV cause skin growths called warts, and other types of HPV infection can cause cancer. HPV causes nearly all cases of cervical cancer - and this form of cancer can take 20 years or more to develop after an initial infection."

"HPV infections and early-stage cervical cancer often have no symptoms, making regular screening for an HPV infection essential to detect early changes in the cervix before they progress to more serious conditions, such as cancer."

"A host of screening and prevention benefits are provided on all Discovery Health Medical Scheme (DHMS) plans. These include screening for certain cancers at set intervals, depending on your risk level."

• Cervical cancer screening in the form of one Pap smear every three years. Members who are at high risk, such as those living with HIV and those who have had abnormal Pap smear results in the past, have access to yearly screenings.
• Alternatively, a human papillomavirus (HPV) test can be done every five years or every three years for those at high risk.

Gail stays on top of her next best actions - and feels better than ever

Gail first saw Personal Health Pathways on her Discovery Health app soon after this platform launched in January 2025.

"It was incredible to see that, as a Discovery Health Medical Scheme member, I had access to a world-leading tool that really understood my health needs and was designed to give me next best actions related to my unique health status and physical activity levels. Going for my cervical cancer screening was the first next best action I completed."

Since then, Gail has followed through on several next best actions, from gynaecology follow-up consultations to eye and dental checkups and completing her yearly health check.

"Now I look forward to seeing what next best actions appear - especially the physical activity ones! They keep me motivated to stay consistently active. During the week, I walk a lot and climb stairs. On weekends, I do indoor cycling. Staying active helps me feel great and move closer to achieving my goal of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro."

Earning money for her Personal Health Fund keeps Gail motivated

"I am always excited to see money going into my Personal Health Fund when I complete a next best action. The best part is that these funds have paid for things like my prescription medicine and even my eye exam, which was also a next best action I needed to complete and which earned me more rewards."

"It's such a relief to have those costs covered without touching my medical savings account - especially with three children in the family who can have medical expenses at any stage, making access to our Medical Savings Account funds key."

"I really see value in Personal Health Pathways and the Personal Health Fund. Getting rewarded for staying healthy is a big motivator. I've also been earning Ðiscovery Miles along the way, and I'm saving them to buy myself running shoes."

You can feel healthy but still have something going on in your body

Following her experience, Gail encourages other Discovery Health Medical Scheme members to engage with their Personal Health Pathways.

"I recommend activating Personal Health Pathways to every Discovery Health Medical Scheme member I know. It's so helpful and potentially lifesaving."

"Personal Health Pathways has changed the way I think about my health. I don't take it for granted anymore. When I see a next best action, I take it to heart and make sure I follow through. I want to live a healthy and long life."

"Personal Health Pathways also creates awareness: it's given me a better understanding of what I need to do to protect my health before any serious conditions develop. Even though I take my health seriously, it is easy to forget to go for preventative screenings or to brush them off as not that important. In my case, I was strong, fit and healthy - pretty invincible really - when I was diagnosed with HPV. That made me realise that just because I feel well doesn't mean something isn't changing inside my body, often without noticeable symptoms until a condition's serious enough to present, which we definitely want to avoid happening."

What is Personal Health Pathways?

Personal Health Pathways is a free tool available to adult Discovery Health Medical Scheme members in the Discovery Health app. It provides personalised, real-time health recommendations called next best actions based on each member's unique profile. As a member's health journey evolves, so does their pathway, continuously updating based on their specific health status, risk profile and engagement patterns and dynamically adjusting as new health data become available.

Personal Health Pathways combines artificial intelligence, predictive analytics and behavioural science. The platform uses more than 50 million life years of health claims and clinical data, along with nearly 30 million life years of exercise and lifestyle data gathered through Vitality in South Africa, to recommend actions that have the greatest potential to improve health outcomes.

Members earn rewards for engaging, including shopping vouchers, Ðiscovery Miles and instant rewards. Those Scheme members who are also Vitality members earn personalised rewards through Personal Health Pathways in addition to their Vitality rewards.

Then, each Personal Health Pathways cycle provides up to two clinical actions and one weekly exercise goal, which must be completed by a set date. Members can earn up to R500 into a new Personal Health Fund for each completed action, up to a maximum of R10,000. The money that is accumulated in the Personal Health Fund can be used for day-to-day medical expenses, including GP and specialist consultations, medicine, radiology and pathology.