The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World has responded to our fact-check of their claim that half of men and a third of women in South Africa smoke.
Healthcheck Reports
Blog post: 10 things we didn’t learn at Africa Check this year
Does being single kill faster than obesity? Can you sue over an opinion poll? Just how much does Nigeria owe China? Some claims push back at fact-checkers. Here’s why.
Do half of men and a third of women in South Africa smoke?
Claim
49% of men and 34.1% of women in South Africa smoke tobacco
Source: Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (October 2018)
incorrect
Verdict
Better surveys show South Africa has far fewer smokers.
Yes, Nigeria is the world’s ‘highest producer of HIV-infected babies’
Claim
Nigeria is the highest producer of HIV-infected babies
Source: Sun newspaper (October 2018)
correct
Verdict
In 2016 Nigeria had the world’s highest number of children newly infected with HIV.
Do a third of adults in Nigeria suffer from high blood pressure?
Claim
One out of every three adults in Nigeria has high blood pressure.
Source: Dr Okechukwu Ogah, president of the Nigerian Cardiac Society (October 2018)
mostly-correct
Verdict
28.9% of adults have high blood pressure.
Blog post: ANALYSIS: Shedding light on health misinformation in Nigeria
Experts say accurate, proactive health communication by the government, civil society and skilled journalists could fight the spread of dangerously inaccurate information in Nigeria.
Does one SA doctor treat 4,000 patients in public care, but fewer than 300 privately?
Claims
Two claims on doctor-patient ratios in SA’s public and private health sectors
Source: Treatment Action Campaign (June 2018)
checked
Verdict
Both claims are incorrect
Do 10 Nigerians die from cancer every hour?
Claim
At least 10 Nigerians die from cancer every hour
Source: Health reporter Ayodeji Ake (May 2018)
unproven
Verdict
Data on cancer deaths in Nigeria is unreliable
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
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.