Activist Hanifa Adan Issues Urgent Plea for Ear Surgery to Save Her Hearing

Political activist Hanifa Adan/ PHOTO: HANIFA ADAN

Political activist Hanifa Adan has come out calling for help to get surgery for her ears after years of battling a worsening condition.

Speaking in a statement on August 11, 2025, on X (formerly Twitter), Hanifa described how her hearing fades a little more each day, how pus continues to ooze from her ears and how she often wakes up to complete silence.

“I am not sure how to put this, but I’ve been searching for a good ENT hospital where I can finally get my surgery done,” she wrote, adding that most hospitals she has visited only offer temporary fixes.

“I need this surgery urgently so that my ears stop getting worse each day and so I can stop waking up to complete silence.”

She further explained that she uses hearing aids, which help partially, but the underlying infection continues to worsen and requires surgical intervention.

Her public plea has drawn attention to the difficulties many Kenyans face in accessing specialised and affordable Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) services.

Chronic ear infections, if left untreated, can cause permanent hearing loss.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 430 million people globally have disabling hearing loss, with middle ear infections being a major cause in developing countries.

In Kenya, ENT surgical services are available in referral hospitals such as Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, as well as in a few private facilities.

However, high costs, long waiting lists and a shortage of specialists make access difficult for many patients.

Hanifa’s appeal has since received recommendations from Kenyans online, with many suggesting hospitals and specialists who could help.