January 17, 2023
Africa: Yes, You Can Drink Too Much Water and It Can Be Lethal
IN SHORT: A viral post on Facebook suggests that you can do yourself serious damage by drinking too much water. And the warning is accurate - water intoxication can lead to… Read more »
January 09, 2023
Kenya: KTN News Reports Kenyan Doctor 'In Danger' for Inventing Hypertension Cure? No, Clumsy Video Fake
IN SHORT: A video claims that a Kenyan doctor has invented a cure for high blood pressure and is so, for an unexplained reason, in danger. The video includes the logo of KTN News… Read more »
December 13, 2022
South Africa: The Changing Face of Covid Misinformation in South Africa - 2020 to 2022 in Review
Fact-checkers aren't seeing anywhere near the volume of false information about Covid-19 as we did in the heyday of the pandemic. But as fears about the virus recede, other health… Read more »
December 19, 2022
Africa: No, Covid Vaccination in Africa Not Just 6 Percent, As Tweet Claims - Uptake Improving
IN SHORT: A tweet that claims only 6% of the African population is vaccinated against Covid is false. The actual figure, according to the World Health Organisation, is 21%. Read more »
December 09, 2022
South Africa: South Africans Took Wrong Covid Vaccine? No!
IN SHORT: A tweet claiming that South Africans were given the "wrong Covid vaccine" is incorrect. A batch of an unauthorised nasal spray to help treat Covid symptoms was ordered by… Read more »
Kenya: No, Photo Doesn't Show Kenya's Health Minister 'Flagging Off' Surgical Procedure - Simulation Lab Uses Dummies, Not Patients
IN SHORT: A photo of Kenya's top health officials supposedly in a surgical theatre drew criticism for the failure to observe patient safety rules. But the photo was actually… Read more »
December 08, 2022
South Africa: Jabbed Germans Banned From Buying Cars? No. Tired Old Covid Disinformation Gets Weirder
IN SHORT: Almost three years after the Covid pandemic began, conspiracy theorists are still trying to sell their ideas online. This time, it's not true that the 75% of Germans… Read more »
November 29, 2022
Africa: No, Monkeypox Hasn't Disappeared - It's Still a Global Public Health Emergency
IN SHORT: Posts on Facebook claim that the disease monkeypox - much in the headlines in mid-2022 - has "disappeared", hinting that there is something sinister about the virus or… Read more »
November 22, 2022
South Africa: No Unusual Typhoid Fever 'Outbreak' in South Africa in November - or February - 2022
IN SHORT: A message going viral in November 2022 claims that high numbers of typhoid fever cases have been reported in eight of South Africa's nine provinces. But the message is an… Read more »
October 27, 2022
Nigeria: Poisonous Snake Bites Cured By Bark of a Cashew Tree? No, Seek Medical Attention!
IN SHORT: A Facebook post circulating in Nigeria claims that you can treat poisonous snakesbites by chewing the bark of a cashew tree. But this is false and snakebite victims… Read more »
September 20, 2022
Africa: No, Covid Vaccines Don't Cause Body to Produce Toxic Spike Proteins That Cause Cancer
IN SHORT: A US doctor, who has previously made untrue claims about Covid-19 and vaccines, is on thin ice in saying the vaccines make your body produce a "toxin" spike protein which… Read more »
September 07, 2022
Nigeria: Fact-Checking Four Claims About Antenatal Care and Pregnancy-Related Deaths in Nigeria
A doctor in northern Nigeria says fewer than 60% of pregnant women in the country visit a clinic for vital pre-birth care. We examine four claims in his interview with Punch… Read more »
August 25, 2022
South Africa: No Publicly Available Data Supports Claim That 80% of Women Who Give Birth At South African Hospital Are Undocumented Zimbabweans
In August 2022 Phophi Ramathuba, the government's head of health in South Africa's Limpopo province, caused a stir when she was recorded confronting a Zimbabwean national for… Read more »
August 23, 2022
South Africa: Viral Home Remedy Won't Cure Your Dog's 'Cat Flu' - and Could Be Toxic
With the rising cost of living and high vet costs, pet owners are responding to a home concoction shared on social media. But they are well-advised to steer clear. Read more »
Africa: No Link Between Monkeypox and Pfizer Covid Vaccine - the Exposé Conspiracy Site Makes Up Evidence, Again
"Every single country where monkeypox is allegedly showing up is also a country that has aggressively pushed the Pfizer Covid-19 injection to its population," reads a screenshot… Read more »
August 04, 2022
Kenya: Yes, Kenya's Roots Party Deputy Presidential Candidate Has a Case for the Medical Use of Marijuana
A candidate eying Kenya's deputy presidency in the upcoming elections recently made a spirited case for the legalisation of marijuana. She argued that people in the country already… Read more »
July 29, 2022
Kenya: President Paid for Deputy Ruto's 'HIV Treatment'? No, Newspaper Front Page Doctored
An image that appears to be the front page of Kenya's Star newspaper claims the country's president settled the bill for his deputy's HIV treatment. Read more »
August 01, 2022
South Africa: Adolescent Mental Health in South Africa - What Do the Numbers Say?
How many adolescents have mental illness? And how many get the care they need? A South African news article's statistics may be outdated and from another country, but its message… Read more »
July 27, 2022
South Africa: Video Does Show a Street in Paris, but in 2016 and Shortly After a Police Crackdown On Migrants
A video, published on Facebook with the caption "Paris, France", shows a wide street littered with mattresses and rubbish. Read more »
Nigeria: What You Should Know About Marburg Virus Disease As Nigeria Raises the Alarm
Marburg disease, caused by a virus related to Ebola, is rare but severe, and often fatal. It is therefore a serious public health threat. But what is Marburg and how does it… Read more »
July 19, 2022
Nigeria: 'In Search of Greener Pastures' - Checking Five Claims About Nigeria's Doctors and the Brain Drain
A prominent doctor in Nigeria has said thousands of doctors are leaving the country, straining the health sector. We took a closer look at some of the numbers he used to back his… Read more »
July 08, 2022
South Africa: Monkeypox Does Not Spread Faster in Men Who Have Sex With Men - Virus Spreads Through Contact
A number of South Africans have claimed on social media that monkeypox - first detected in the country on 23 June 2022 - disproportionally affects men who have sex with men. But… Read more »
June 29, 2022
South Africa: No, Heart Disease in Children Has Not 'Exploded' Because of the Covid-19 Vaccine
A Facebook post published on 7 June 2022 shows a photo of the front cover of a newspaper called the Irish Light with the headline: "Heart disease in children explodes since… Read more »
June 23, 2022
Kenya: Pfizer Covid Vaccine Has Efficacy of Just 12 Percent? No, Screenshot of Global News Headline Fake
"Pfizer clinical trial data reveals the company's Covid vaccine has a 12% efficacy rate," reads the headline on what seems to be a screenshot of an article by the… Read more »
June 20, 2022
Africa: Vaping 95 Percent Less Harmful Than Smoking and the Most Effective Way for Smokers to Quit? Here's What the Research Says About Popular Claims
E-cigarettes continue to be a source of heated debate. We looked at two claims about vaping carried by a South African media outlet. Read more »