Video: Malcom raises alarm over endometriosis in Kenya, urges leaders to act
This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.
- US-based Kenyan content creator Malcom recorded an impassioned video calling for a national conversation on endometriosis in Kenya
- His remarks followed news that NTV host Natalie Githinji had been diagnosed with Stage 4 endometriosis after emergency surgery and an ICU stay
- The creator cited Ministry of Health data showing Kenya has only about 700 gynaecologists and five trained laparoscopic surgeons to serve millions of women
US-based Kenyan digital creator Arnold Malcom, popularly known as Malcom aka Machaji na Manyonyois, has called on Kenyans to stop treating endometriosis as a silent disease, delivering a pointed video from inside his truck cabin that has resonated widely online.
Filmed in a selfie-style clip posted to his Instagram, Malcom opened by wishing NTV host Natalie Githinji a speedy recovery before shifting into a sharp critique of the state of women's reproductive healthcare in Kenya.
Natalie, a former NRG Radio presenter, recently underwent emergency surgery and spent time in the ICU after a severe flare-up.
She has since been open about her battle with the chronic condition, revealing a Stage 4 endometriosis diagnosis, the most advanced and severe form of the disease.
Kenya's gynaecologist crisis
Citing data presented to parliament by the Ministry of Health, Malcom highlighted a striking figure: Kenya has roughly 700 gynaecologists serving the entire country, covering both public and private facilities.
With approximately 15 million women in the reproductive age bracket of 15 to 49, that works out to about one gynaecologist for every 21,000 women.
"Imagine there's a woman deep in the village suffering from unbearable period pain, chronic pelvic pain, infertility, and she may not even know what endometriosis is," he said in the video, adding that such a woman could spend years suffering quietly without ever accessing specialist care.
Even more alarming, according to Malcom, is the number of surgeons trained to perform laparoscopy, the key diagnostic and surgical procedure for endometriosis.
He stated that Kenya has only five trained laparoscopic gynaecological surgeons, all based at the main referral hospital.
A call to action for women representatives
Malcom did not stop at raising awareness. He directed his message squarely at Kenya's 47 women representatives in the county assemblies and parliament, questioning what role they were playing in pushing for better reproductive healthcare policies.
"Mwende Ministry of Health. Mwende mse mwini aje, our reproductive health PAP na mata," he said, urging women's groups and advocacy organisations to organise and demand action from the Ministry of Health.
He argued that endometriosis affects sisters, mothers, and daughters, making it a concern that cuts across every household in the country and deserves far greater national attention than it currently receives.
Watch Malcom's full advocacy video on endometriosis in Kenya:
Malcom rose to prominence through his viral commentary on diaspora life, having relocated from working in Qatar and Rwanda before settling in the United States as a long-haul truck driver.
His platform has increasingly become a space for social commentary on Kenyan affairs alongside his signature humour.
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Source: TUKO.co.ke
Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.