False posts tout unregistered supplement as 'diabetes cure found in Myanmar'
- This article is more than one year old.
- Published on May 15, 2023 at 03:49
- Updated on May 15, 2023 at 04:38
- 4 min read
- By AFP Thailand
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"A method that can balance blood sugar level has been found in Myanmar," reads a Burmese-language Facebook post from January 3 with more than 1,200 shares.
"Click here for a special supplement and to learn more about it."
The post shows a photo of a crowd holding balloons and text that says: "The government allocated (GlucoPro) to those who suffer diabetes."
The post links to an article advertising health supplement "GlucoPro".
The article, which appears to be a machine translation into Burmese, claims a Myanmar healthcare official called "Aisha Umarov" distributed the drug to diabetes patients across the country.
It says "GlucoPro" can make seven symptoms of diabetes disappear in just seven weeks, including weight problems and blurry vision.
Diabetes is a chronic illness where a patient has elevated levels of blood sugar -- also known as blood glucose (archived link). It is categorised into type 1, which usually develops in children, teens and young adults, and type 2 diabetes, which is usually seen in adults over 45 (archived links here and here).
Similar Facebook posts shared links to the article touting the baseless treatment here, here and here. They have been shared more than 1,600 times in total.
No diabetes cure
Health experts at Meedan, which tackles health misinformation, said the claim was false.
"There is no evidence to suggest that what are being called 'GlucoPro' supplements can cure diabetes or any other health conditions. In the case of type 2 diabetes, there is no known cure," a spokesperson told AFP on January 25.
Treatment for diabetes typically involves lifestyle changes, such as exercise and diet, they added.
"As a result, people or companies advertising GlucoPro or similar medications are likely trying to make a profit."
AFP has previously debunked claims about "GlucoPro" capsules in the Philippines, where it is not registered under the country's Food and Drug Administration's database.
A similarly-named product called "GLUCOPRO" is registered in the database as a "powder mix drink". However, the manufacturer told AFP it had no connection with the product promoted in false posts (archived link).
Thai doctor
The photo in the baseless article shows Dr Chorthip N. Phattanasri, an endocrinologist at Thailand's Bumrungrad International Hospital, not "Myanmar health official Aisha Umarov" (archived link).
AFP found no trace of a health official in Myanmar by that name.
Chorthip, whose name is written on her coat in English and Thai in the photo, said she did not endorse "GlucoPro".
"I do not endorse the use of the specified product as a treatment or cure for diabetes," she told AFP.
"This appears to be a case of misidentification. The Burmese text underneath (my) image refers to a different person."
Unrelated photos
A Google reverse image search found the photo of a crowd with balloons that features in the false Facebook posts was taken at an opening ceremony for a hospital in Myanmar in 2020.
"Union Minister U Myint Htwe attended an opening ceremony of a two storeys new hospital building," reads the Burmese-language article published on March 9, 2020 by government news outlet Myanmar Digital News (archived link).
The article does not mention diabetes treatments or "GlucoPro".
Below is a screenshot comparison of the image in the false post (left) and the photo from Myanmar Digital News (right):
Another photo in the advertising "GlucoPro" shows a Myanmar government meeting.
A reverse image search found the picture on Myanmar's social welfare ministry's (MSWRR) website in an article from September 21, 2022 about a meeting on improving the digitisation of government departments (archived link).
The article does not mention diabetes or "GlucoPro".
Below is a screenshot comparison of the image from the false article (left) and the one published by MSWRR (right):
AFP has debunked claims about bogus supplements here, here and here.
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