Diagnostic Delays and Limited Care Leave Women Facing Advanced Endometriosis
By Chemtai Kirui | Kirinyaga | March 18, 2026
Delayed diagnosis and frequent medical errors are contributing to high numbers of advanced endometriosis cases in the country, health experts said on Wednesday. A shortage of specialists leaves many women managing a condition often dismissed as normal menstrual pain.
Speaking at the Healing Mama Africa Boot Camp at Mt. Kenya ACK Hospital, specialists said nearly 50 percent of suspected cases are initially misidentified. While diagnosis can take eight to 10 years in Western countries, experts say delays are likely longer in rural Africa due to low awareness and limited access to specialized imaging.
“We need to be intentional about improving care,” said Dr. Joe Njagi, an endometriosis specialist. “Misconceptions and bias within healthcare systems often lead to women’s pain being dismissed, resulting in catastrophic delays in treatment.”
Endometriosis, a condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the womb, affects approximately one in ten women globally. In the country, however, the lack of data masks the true scale of the crisis.
Experts at the conference said that because the disease can involve the bowel, bladder, and other organs, it requires a multidisciplinary surgical approach that is currently unavailable in most public facilities.
“Pain is not normal,” said Dr. Yamal Patel, a specialist attending the inaugural boot camp. “It significantly affects quality of life, fertility, and mental well-being. We are here to ensure it is no longer ignored.”
The human cost of the lack of diagnosis was spoken about by survivors who described years of being treated for unrelated illnesses while the disease spread.
Jackline Njeri, a survivor who underwent surgery last year, recounted a harrowing seven-year struggle that began in 2017.
“I was misdiagnosed and even treated for tuberculosis to clear what were thought to be chest complications,” Njeri said. “I didn’t know it was endometriosis. It is a full-body disease that can spread if not caught early.”
While the Kirinyaga boot camp offers immediate relief, it indicates a broader gap in national data on the condition. Experts estimate that nearly 2.5 million Kenyan women are affected, yet the condition remains largely invisible in national health budgets.
According to 2026 socioeconomic data, the diagnostic delay doesn’t just cause physical pain, experts say that chronic symptoms can reduce productivity and earnings for women in their prime working years.
The struggle for a diagnosis in rural areas is exacerbated by a long-standing medical myth that the disease is rare among women of African descent. “Historical bias has blinded the healthcare system for too long,” researchers say. Recent clinical guidance is increasingly encouraging earlier intervention and specialized surgical management to prevent the disease from becoming a lifelong disability.
The Healing Mama Africa initiative announced it will conduct over 100 free ultrasound scans and 20 complex surgeries this week, bringing international expertise to rural Kirinyaga, where access to specialized MRI interpretation and laparoscopic surgery is limited.
Dr. Njagi said that while the boot camp provides immediate relief to dozens of women, the long-term solution requires the government to invest in training more personnel capable of accurately interpreting specialized imaging.
The initiative comes at a time when healthcare providers are increasingly calling for endometriosis to be prioritized as a major public health issue, alongside oncology and maternal health.
