- She, however, said she has not come across the said medicine but has talked to people who are looking for the medicine and others who have subscribed to buy.
- The alleged fake medicine has no name, and neither do the posts indicate ingredients that were used.
Medical doctor and journalist Mercy Korir has not invented a unique remedy believed to permanently cure joint diseases.
The doctor flagged several blog posts and Facebook feeds that claimed that she had invented the medicine.
“Please don’t fall prey to these scammers on Facebook and Instagram,” she said.
The fake posts that were first shared in June by a Facebook user by the name of Ann Dinah, claimed that the invention would cure joint pain with just a rub.
“Just rub it in the morning or during times of pain,” the posts read.
Another poster reads: “A Kenyan doctor has invented a unique remedy to cure joint diseases and even prevent their complete destruction at any age”.
The Facebook users also designed posters with logos of one of Kenya’s news websites Citizen Digital, to make it seem like a real post.
The alleged fake medicine has no name, and neither do the posts indicate ingredients that were used.
Speaking to The Star Kenya on the phone, Dr. Mercy said she has reported the matter to the cybercrime unit at the Director of Criminal Investigation and a probe is ongoing.
“We are currently waiting upon the findings,” she said.
She further urged the public not to fall prey to the scammer and use the medicine, as there is no information on what the medicine contains.
“We have people who have bought that medicine, and no information in regard to what it contains,” she added.
She, however, said she has not come across the said medicine but has talked to people who are looking for the medicine and others who have subscribed to buy.
“I urge the public not to fall prey to the medicine, and should do their due diligence,” Dr Korir added.
According to the World Health Organization, about 528 million people are suffering from joint pain disease, better known as osteoarthritis, a 113% increase since 1990.
This statistic shows that many people are suffering from the disease, hence the increased search for solutions, further making people vulnerable to such fake news, in regards to cure.
“With a prevalence of 365 million, the knee is the most frequently affected joint, followed by the hip and the hand,” WHO stated.
This fact check was published by The Star, Kenya, with technical support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck newsdesk, through the African Fact-Checking Alliance (AFCA).