Recently, rumors have been circulating on various WhatsApp threads, claiming that a deadly sugar is being sold in the market in the Central African Republic. This information is accompanied by an image of a child with burns on their lips.
According to the sources spreading this information, this warning allegedly originated from the Ministry of Health and was broadcast on RFI. However, this is indeed a false rumor, previously debunked in the past, and accompanied by an image taken out of context that was already addressed by our colleagues at Observateurs France 24. The photo, published on September 14, 2018, was misused in this context.
On April 13, 2022, this rumor was shared in the WhatsApp group of Central African worship leaders and quickly became viral, spreading by word of mouth across various districts in Bangui. However, this erroneous information actually dates back to 2018 and was shared on Twitter with different versions.
This information reached our editorial team through a WhatsApp thread of Central African worship leaders.
Verification and Expert Opinions
In the course of our verification, our editorial team contacted Dr. Luc Salva Heredeibona, an epidemiologist and Director of Healthcare Organization and Management of the University Hospital Space within the Ministry of Public Health and Population, who denied all claims that the sugar causes such severe skin reactions.
“It could be another infectious pathology, or even a burn from something like lye. To my knowledge, this image does not reflect reality. Even if it were poisoned sugar, the harmful impact would not manifest dermatologically.”
Similarly, the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Central African Republic, through its health advisor Augustin Dibert, confirmed that they have received no information about this supposed new pathology: “We have received no information. If this were the case, the Ministry of Health would have alerted the WHO to take drastic measures. Additionally, these health institutions should summon wholesalers and traders of this allegedly adulterated sugar to confiscate and destroy it to prevent any harmful consequences.”
Furthermore, we approached the emergency medical services at the Community and University Hospital of Bangui (CHUB) to observe if they had received any similar cases. According to our observations at the Emergency Department, no patients affected by such a pathology have been recorded. They also affirmed that even excessive sugar consumption would not cause such effects, confirming that the photo is out of context.
Why is the Image Out of Context?
The Observateurs France 24 website traced the origin of the image by contacting the site holding the copyright of the photo, which was removed afterward. When searching on the Yandex engine, the results show that this image was published in an article on the Consultant 360 website in April 2015, a site dedicated to healthcare professionals.
The medical article explained that a 6-year-old girl, who was HIV-positive with an initial CD4 lymphocyte count of 189/µL, presented to a clinic in South Africa with a one-year history of verrucous papules on the lips and oral mucosa extending to the surrounding skin, consistent with a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. At the time, she was placed on highly active antiretroviral therapy.
This information, originating from conspiracy theorists, aims to provoke panic among sugar consumers to manipulate public opinion against the current government.
Conclusion
If a new pathology caused by the side effects of sugar were to surface worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) would inform its official site, its partners, and the international community about a possible discovery of a virus causing such a pathology.
This alarmist warning has been circulating in several African countries since 2013, but it has not been confirmed by specialists in gynecology and infections, so it remains a mere rumor that should be approached with caution.
This article is produced as part of the “Désinfox-Afrique-RCA” program
By Britney Ngalingbo / AFC
Do you find information or images suspicious? Contact our editorial team at 00236 74 02 15 70 / 75 81 61 38 / 75 38 11 73, or email us at [email protected].
