June 12, 2023
Africa: No Evidence Garlic-Infused Water Can Treat Yeast Infections - Seek Medical Advice
IN SHORT: Garlic is a common ingredient in home remedies, and has been shown to have some medicinal properties. But there is conflicting evidence and not enough research to say it… Read more »
May 19, 2023
Kenya: X-Ray Shows Cockroach in Patient's Chest? No, Old Hoax - the Original Image Has Been Online Since 2010
Viral social media posts claiming an X-ray shows a cockroach in the chest of a Kenyan patient are a version of an old hoax from 2012. Read more »
April 26, 2023
Kenya: No, Kenya's Citizen TV Didn't Report That Governor of Kisumu County Anyang' Nyong'o Revealed His HIV Status
IN SHORT: A short-lived decision by Twitter to remove verification badges left many media organisations vulnerable to impersonation, before the policy was partly reversed. One of… Read more »
May 23, 2023
Africa: No, Pfizer Didn't Admit It Lied About Testing Efficacy of COVIS Vaccine
A claim that pharmaceutical company Pfizer has admitted to lying about testing the effectiveness of its Covid vaccine is still circulating on social media in South Africa. But this… Read more »
May 24, 2023
Africa: No, Pandemic Treaty Still a Rough Draft, Doesn't Give World Health Organization 'Control Over Entire World'
The World Health Organization's voluntary pandemic treaty lays out ways countries could cooperate to prevent, prepare for and respond to future pandemics. It doesn't hand all power… Read more »
June 07, 2023
Africa: Factsheet - 'A Disease Nobody Should Die From' - What You Should Know About the Cholera Outbreak in South Africa
With over twenty dead at time of publication, the outbreak of the waterborne disease cholera has rattled an already battle-weary South Africa. What do the public need to know about… Read more »
May 31, 2023
Africa: Don't Believe Remedy That 'Cures the Disease Effectively' - There Is Still No One-Size-Fits-All Cure for Cancer
IN SHORT: Cancer is a large group of diseases, with a variety of treatments tailored to the type of cancer and how far it has progressed. Claims that a herbal remedy offers a cure… Read more »
April 26, 2023
Africa: Are You At Risk of Catching Leptospirosis When Drinking From a Tin Can? No, Ignore False Warning
IN SHORT: The claim that dried mouse urine found on tin cans could infect people with leptospira has resurfaced on Facebook. But the bacteria that causes the infectious disease… Read more »
April 25, 2023
Africa: Vaccines Do Not Cause Magnetism, No Evidence Government Is 'Secretly Injecting the Vaccine Into Meat'
IN SHORT: No vaccines - including ones against Covid-19 - cause the vaccinated to become magnetised, whether human or animal. And there's no government plot to inject meat with… Read more »
April 20, 2023
Africa: No Graphene Oxide in Covid-19 Vaccines, Pfizer Document Taken Out of Context
IN SHORT: We've seen many false and misleading claims about Covid-19 and the vaccines to prevent it since the start of 2020. The latest rumour about a vaccine ingredient, spreading… Read more »
March 30, 2023
Africa: A 4,070 Percent Increase in Miscarriages and Stillbirths Amongs Pregnant Women Who Took the Covid Vaccine? Entirely False
IN SHORT: There is no data to support the claim of a 4,070% increase in miscarriages and stillbirths as a result of taking the Covid mRNA vaccine. In fact, maternal health experts… Read more »
March 07, 2023
Kenya: No Evidence That Taking Any Medication 'Including Panadol' Before an HIV Test Will Mask a Positive Status
IN SHORT: A viral TikTok video claims that people with HIV can hide their status by taking medication, even painkillers like paracetamol, before an HIV test. This claim is false,… Read more »
Africa: No, People Vaccinated Against Covid-19 Don't Develop Aids - Claim Peddled By Known False-Information Website
IN SHORT: In early 2023 a familiar anti-vaxx rumour started spreading on social media again, claiming that people vaccinated against Covid-19 were developing "Aids-like symptoms".… Read more »
February 28, 2023
Africa: No, Gammora HIV 'Cure Kits' Not Medically Proven - Stick to Approved Treatment
IN SHORT: HIV/Aids can't be cured, but can be treated and managed with antiretroviral drugs as a chronic disease. Claims that there is a "cure" for the human immunodeficiency… Read more »
February 20, 2023
Africa: Yes, Chinese Scientist Tu Youyou Did Win Nobel Prize in 2015 for Discovery of Antimalarial and Has Stayed Mostly Out of the Limelight
IN SHORT: It's not surprising that certain claims go viral online, like the one that a cure for a dangerous disease was discovered by an anonymous Chinese woman who wasn't even a… Read more »
February 10, 2023
Africa: Don't Be Fooled - Ignore Facebook Page Advertising Policing, Firefighting and Nursing Training in South Africa
IN SHORT: South African job-seekers should steer away from Facebook posts offering opportunities in the correctional services. Read more »
Africa: No Evidence That DNA From Semen Stays in Woman's Body 'Forever'
IN SHORT: If you have unprotected sex with a man, does the DNA from his semen stay in your body "forever"? No, of course not. There's no evidence for this… Read more »
February 06, 2023
Africa: 'Fraudulent and Misleading' - Why Pricey Herbal Mix Touted As a Remedy for HIV Falls Flat
While widespread antiretroviral treatment has drastically changed the lives of people with HIV, there is still no cure for the virus which infects an estimated 38 million people… Read more »
January 31, 2023
Kenya: No, Nation Newspaper Didn't Warn of Super Gonorrhoea Caused By 'Promiscuity' Among Kenyan Women
IN SHORT: A graphic shared on social media in Kenya attributes a number of problematic claims to the country's largest selling daily newspaper. But the graphic is a fabrication and… Read more »
Nigeria: Danger! Bitter Kola Eye Drops Won't Cure Glaucoma, Myopia and Other Eye Problems - See Doctor Instead
IN SHORT: Our eyes are sensitive and easily damaged, which could lead to blindness. Don't put anything in your eyes that hasn't been approved by a qualified health professional. Read more »
Africa: No, Bill Gates Has Not Vowed to 'Pump MRNA Vaccines Into Food Supply'
IN SHORT: The Covid-19 pandemic saw not only disease spread worldwide, but misinformation too. Much of this has been around how vaccines do or don't work. A recent claim that… Read more »
January 30, 2023
Nigeria: What You Should Know About the Diphtheria Outbreak in Nigeria
An outbreak of diphtheria, a serious disease that is especially harmful to children, has been confirmed in Nigeria. But what is diphtheria, and what leads to its spread? Read more »
January 27, 2023
Nigeria: No Evidence That Okra Steeped in Water Will Help You Get Pregnant
IN SHORT: Okra is nutritious and has other health benefits. But there's no proof that it "boosts" ovulation, a natural once-a-month process where a single mature egg is released… Read more »
January 24, 2023
Africa: No, Weight-Loss Rings Sold On Facebook Just Another Scam, Like Other Magnetic Jewellery
IN SHORT: Despite presenting an overwhelming amount of information about what they're supposedly made of and how they work, rings sold with the promise of "weight loss" or health… Read more »
January 17, 2023
Africa: No, How Often You Have Sex Does Not Change the 'Tightness' of Your Vagina
IN SHORT: A post on Facebook warning women not to have sex too often as it will change the shape or "tightness" of the vagina is misleading. There is no evidence that sex causes a… Read more »