Oldham plays a major role in raising awareness to BAFTA level

A local charity has lifted the profile of a forgotten condition to such a point that books, pop records and now an award-winning film have been written about it.

Despite harming one-in-ten women, the profile of endometriosis was so poor five short years ago, that some members of the public thought the pelvic blight was a throat infection. 

But such has been the push for recognition, that health campaigner Dr Anita Sharma started 2026’s Endometriosis Awareness Month (March) by paying tribute to volunteers from Oldham for being amongst the first to put so-called “endo” on the world map. 

The erstwhile Chadderton GP founded Endometriosis Awareness North in 2021 after being left dumbfounded by the ignorance displayed to local patients presenting with the condition. 

And her creation of empowered “endo warriors” has ushered in an age where everyone from celebs to stigma-shy South Asian women now talk openly about their battles with the condition. 

The film, “This is Endometriosis” also won the Best Short Film Award at the recent BAFTAs – the first time a medical condition has ever been the topic of a winning flick. 

“So much progress has been made since local young woman Courtney Ormrod arrived at my surgery desperate for help half a decade ago” revealed Dr Sharma. “Her teaching career had been ruined, she’d had black-outs and needed a wheelchair on occasions, and worst of all, nobody believed a word she said! 

With the supreme support of volunteers from my Patient Participation Group we decided enough was enough – and began a campaign that owes so much to them and the people of Oldham who have since helped.” 

Far from resting on her laurels though, Dr Anita is marching forward over the next few weeks with awareness-raising public events, including a walk and a coffee morning attended by local MPs. She is also set to unveil details of the country’s first-ever research into endometriosis and self-harm, conducted by the University of Manchester and funded by donations to Endometriosis Awareness North. 

“While more people know about endo, the time taken to successfully diagnose endometriosis has actually GONE UP and sufferers have to wait in pain for nearly a decade to find out if they have the condition” she continued. 

“Where is the specialist help to treat endo? Where is the research to find relief or even a cure? And where are the politicians who will make learning about Endo a part of our children’s education, or even grant special leave of absence for workers crippled by endometriosis? 
There is still so much to be done.” 

Dr Sharma will be publishing details of activity in March, shortly. Learn more about Endometriosis Awareness Month, by going to https://www.awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/endometriosis-awareness-month/ 
For more on Endometriosis Awareness North, go to https://endometriosisawarenessnorth.com/