Hit or miss? 5 claims by Kenyan governors fact-checked
Claims
Five claims about devolution in Kenya
Source: State of Devolution Address
checked
Verdict
Ratings ranging from correct to misleading and unproven
Healthcheck Reports
Do 80% of Nigerians lack safe drinking water? It’s worse than that
Claim
Close to 80% of Nigerians lack potable water.
Source: Journalist Dele Sobowale (May 2018)
downplayed
Verdict
90.8% of Nigerians’ household drinking water contaminated by E coli bacteria.
As help from Cuba arrives, is there only one Kenyan doctor for every 16,000 people?
Claim
Kenya’s doctor-to-patient ratio remains 1 doctor to every 16,000 patients.
Source: Nzioka Waita, chief of staff in the Kenyan presidency
incorrect
Verdict
Latest data puts ratio at 1:6,355
Do 200,000 abortions – many a ‘repeat’ – take place in South Africa each year?
Claim
There are 200,000 abortions a year in South Africa, and many of these are “repeat” abortions.
Source: Cheryllyn Dudley, South African MP (March 2018)
unproven
Verdict
Official figures show half this number. Data on illegal and “repeat” abortions aren't available.
Health minister quoted outdated TB stats for Nigeria, South Africa
Claim
Nigeria also ranks fourth among the 30 highest TB burden countries in the world and first in Africa
Source:
Nigeria’s junior health minister, Dr Osagie Ehanire (March 2018)
incorrect
Verdict
Newer estimates places Nigeria second in Africa, 7th worldwide for its TB burden
Claim that malaria kills 756,000 Nigerian children each year incorrect
Claim
Malaria kills 756,000 under five Nigerian children each year
Source:
The Guardian newspaper (April 2018)
incorrect
Verdict
Figure closer to deaths from all causes
Factsheet: FACTSHEET: Frequently asked questions about autism in South Africa
What is autism? What do we know about this developmental disorder in South Africa, and what is still unknown? One thing is for sure: it’s not caused by vaccines.
Do 1-in-5 Nigerian adults suffer from long-term depression? World Bank revises brief
Claim
In Nigeria, chronic depression affects one in five adults
Source: Nigeria's The Guardian newspaper (Feb 2018)
incorrect
Verdict
Scale used in study cannot diagnose depression
South African road agency gets traffic deaths stat wrong
Claim
About 47% of road fatalities are pedestrians
Source: Tweet by SA Traffic Infringement Agency (April 2018)
not-rated
Verdict
Agency referred to passenger deaths during Easter 2017
Nigeria spends 5 times less per person on healthcare than SA – not 7
Claim
South Africa spends about seven times more per head on healthcare than Nigeria does
Source:
Nigeria's ThisDay newspaper
(Feb 2018)
not-rated
Verdict
In 2015, Nigeria spent US$97 pp & SA US$471