Kirinyaga Woman Rep Njeri pushes for endometriosis care to be included in UHC as women face delayed diagnosis

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 29 — Kirinyaga WomanRepresentative Maina Njeri has called for endometriosis to be treated as a public health and economic issue, urging the Government to integrate its diagnosis and treatment into Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) framework.

Njeri told the National Assembly that thousands of women and girls affected by the chronic condition continue to suffer prolonged pain, delayed diagnosis and financial hardship because of limited awareness and inadequate access to specialised care.

She said the condition, which causes tissue similar to the lining of the uterus to grow outside the uterus, is frequently mistaken for ordinary menstrual pain despite potentially causing severe pelvic pain, excessive bleeding, fatigue and infertility.

“Endometriosis is therefore not merely a private medical concern, it is a public-health, social and economic issue that affects the dignity, equality and well-being of women and girls,” Njeri said in a General Statement to the House.

The legislator said women affected by the condition can spend years moving between health facilities before receiving an accurate diagnosis, with the resulting pain affecting their education, employment and household finances.

Njeri called for endometriosis care to be incorporated into the UHC agenda and covered through the Social Health Authority (SHA), alongside efforts to take specialised services closer to patients.

“There is an urgent need to integrate endometriosis care into the Universal Health Coverage agenda, provide appropriate coverage under the Social Health Authority, and decentralize diagnostic and specialised treatment services to county and regional referral facilities across the country,” she said.

She also urged the Government to strengthen training for healthcare workers and develop clear national guidelines covering diagnosis, referral, treatment and long-term management.

Njeri said the country also needed research to establish the prevalence of endometriosis and quantify its socioeconomic impact on affected women, families and the wider economy.

The call comes as access to specialised healthcare remains more difficult for women living outside major urban centres, where diagnostic and treatment services are less readily available.

Njeri also called for a shift in Kenya’s menstrual-health messaging, arguing that public education should go beyond access to sanitary products to help women and girls identify symptoms that require medical attention.

“Our menstrual-health agenda should go beyond access to sanitary products,” she said, calling for initiatives to ensure women and girls understand that “severe or incapacitating menstrual pain is not normal” and should be reported to healthcare providers.

She said earlier recognition of symptoms could help reduce the prolonged suffering experienced by women who remain undiagnosed.

Njeri further paid tribute to the late media personality and endometriosis campaigner Mary Njambi Koikai, popularly known as Jahmby Koikai, whose public account of living with the condition helped raise awareness in Kenya.

“She transformed her personal suffering into advocacy and gave countless Kenyan women the courage to also speak up about their own pain,” Njeri said.

She urged the Government to turn the increased awareness generated by advocacy into concrete measures for early diagnosis, affordable treatment and wider access to specialised care.

“The greatest homage we can pay to her and to every woman living with endometriosis is to translate endometriosis awareness into meaningful policy and accessible