How ignoring early health warning signs is costing Kenyans their lives

For many patients, serious illnesses do not begin with a dramatic moment. They start quietly: a persistent cough mistaken for a passing infection, a swelling dismissed as harmless, unexplained weight loss blamed on poor diet, or recurring pain assumed to be normal. At first, there is always a reason to wait.

 Some believe the symptoms will disappear with time. Others turn to over-the-counter medication, traditional remedies or home-based treatments, hoping they will recover without visiting a health facility. For some, the fear of discovering a serious illness becomes stronger than the need to seek medical help. But as the waiting continues, diseases that could have been detected and managed early silently progress.

Across Kenya, poor health-seeking behaviour- the tendency to ignore symptoms, delay visiting a healthcare facility or rely on self-medication and unverified alternative treatments is increasingly contributing to late diagnosis, preventable complications and avoidable deaths. Health experts say the delay is driven by a combination of factors, including financial challenges, limited access to healthcare, misinformation, cultural beliefs, stigma and fear of diagnosis.

The consequences are often severe. Patients arrive at hospitals when diseases have advanced, treatment becomes more expensive and chances of recovery become more difficult. Families are forced to carry emotional and financial burdens that could have been reduced through early medical intervention.

 In the quiet villages of Rumbiye, Samia Sub-county, Busia County, 36-year-old Judis Juma Apondo represents the human face of this challenge. Surrounded by small farms and a close-knit rural community, Apondo spends her days outside her home, living with a condition that has shaped almost every part of her life.

From a distance, she appears like any other rural mother but a closer look reveals a painful reality. Multiple growths protrude from her mouth, severely altering her face and affecting basic activities such as eating and speaking. The condition has not only caused physical suffering but has also taken away opportunities that many people take for granted. Her journey began during childhood.

 Apondo says her late parents were the first to notice unusual swelling on her face. Concerned about their daughter, they searched for treatment wherever they could afford. "My parents tried. They took me to places they could afford, including herbal treatment, but we did not have enough money to continue treatment. We travelled to different counties looking for medication, even as far as Nairobi," she recalls.

However, poverty limited the family's ability to continue seeking specialised healthcare. The financial burden became a major barrier, forcing them to depend on traditional remedies in an attempt to control the condition. The swelling worsened, Apondo’s childhood was interrupted. Unlike other children in her village who walked to school every morning, she never had the chance to sit in a classroom.

She says her condition made it difficult to attend school, while the stigma surrounding her appearance pushed her further away from the community. She grew up watching life move on around her while she struggled with a condition she could not fully understand or control. Without consistent medical care, she continued using local herbs, commonly known as Kienyeji medicine, hoping they would bring relief.

 "Some herbs help with the pain, but the swelling does not disappear," she says. Today, her greatest wish is to access treatment that could improve her quality of life. Looking back, she regrets not getting proper medical attention earlier and wonders whether her situation could have been different.

"I just want to be treated. Even if the swelling reduces, I will be grateful," she says. Apondo’s experience reflects a wider reality facing many Kenyans who delay seeking medical care because of financial limitations, misinformation or reliance on alternative treatments. A similar story is told by Jane, not her real name, a 27-year-old mother of two from Nyamira County. For Jane, the warning sign was a cough that began in February 2024 and at the time, she believed it was a minor illness that would resolve on its own.

 "I assumed it would go away," she says. Instead of visiting a health facility, she opted for home care and rest. Months later, she started losing weight and she initially thought the changes were caused by poor eating habits. "I thought maybe it was because I was not eating well," she recalls. But her condition continued worsening. By November 2024, the cough had increased and she developed severe weakness. This time, she decided to seek medical attention.

 After explaining her symptoms, healthcare workers conducted tests that confirmed she was HIV positive. The diagnosis shocked her. She struggled to accept the results and questioned the medical findings. "I told them they were not serious. I did not believe them," she says. She returned home and continued living without starting treatment, months passed making her health.

She became extremely thin and weak before eventually returning to the hospital. Doctors started her on antiretroviral therapy (ARVs), but the delay had already affected her health.

"My viral load had gone high because of the delay. I was almost dead," she says. Today, Jane is responding to treatment and managing her condition, but she still carries the regret of waiting too long. "I regret why I did not go to hospital early and why I assumed the results from the doctors," she says.

According to Dr Sheila Mokeira, a clinical psychologist based in Kisumu, delayed healthcare seeking is often influenced by psychological factors rather than simply a lack of information. She says many people fear discovering the truth about their health because a diagnosis forces them to confront a reality they may not be emotionally prepared to accept.

"Many people feel that the condition becomes real once a doctor confirms it. That confirmation creates fear," she explains. Dr Mokeira says this is common among chronic conditions such as HIV, cancer and other illnesses surrounded by stigma.Some patients with suspicious growths delay seeking care because they fear being diagnosed with cancer.

They worry about treatment, chemotherapy and how society will view them and others believe treatment may be worse than the disease itself. She explains that fear of the unknown, shame and stigma often lead people to avoid hospitals even when they suspect something is wrong. The psychologist says some people also experience what she describes as cognitive bias - the belief that symptoms will disappear without intervention.

Some rely only on prayer or traditional remedies while avoiding medical attention. "Spirituality is important, but people should also take their medication and seek professional care. Delaying treatment only prolongs suffering," she says.

 Dr Mokeira adds that some people ignore symptoms because of their upbringing, personal beliefs or the perception that suffering is something they must simply endure. She says fear of stigma is particularly strong among people dealing with mental health conditions, HIV and other illnesses where society often attaches negative labels.

 Clinical psychologist Annita Musyoki from Nairobi West Hospital says some patients who delay treatment are often struggling psychologically rather than deliberately neglecting their health. She explains that when people face frightening possibilities, they may convince themselves that the situation is not serious or that things will improve on their own.

According to Musyoki, declining physical health can also affect decision-making. As illness progresses, patients may become weaker, exhausted and less motivated to care for themselves, creating a cycle where poor health leads to poor self-care and further deterioration.

 Health policy experts say addressing poor health-seeking behaviour requires looking beyond individual choices. Professor Mohammud Sheikh, a Professor of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, says financial challenges, education levels and cultural beliefs are among the major factors influencing healthcare decisions.

 "Some factors are related to finances, knowledge and education. Others are influenced by beliefs in herbal medicine and spiritual treatment," he says. Professor Sheikh says delayed healthcare seeking is a major contributor to illness and deaths, especially from non-communicable diseases. Unlike infectious diseases that may produce sudden symptoms, conditions such as diabetes, cancer, kidney disease and heart disease often develop slowly.

Because symptoms may not appear severe in the early stages, many patients postpone seeking help and by the time they present to hospitals, complications have already developed. He says Kenya must strengthen public health approaches that promote early detection, routine screening and better community awareness. Globally, non-communicable diseases remain a leading cause of death.

They contribute to more than 42 million deaths annually worldwide, with about 86 per cent of these deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries. Professor Sheikh says early diagnosis does not only save lives but also reduces healthcare costs. He gives the example of kidney disease caused by uncontrolled diabetes.

When diabetes is detected and managed early, patients can avoid severe complications that require expensive treatment such as dialysis. However, when care is delayed, patients require more hospital admissions, specialised treatment and longer recovery periods.

"The more the delay, the greater the economic burden on individuals, families and the healthcare system," he says. Experts say improving health-seeking behaviour will require affordable healthcare services, stronger public education, reducing stigma and addressing misinformation surrounding diseases.