Posts share fabricated govt endorsement for 'arthritis treatment' in the Philippines
- This article is more than one year old.
- Published on December 1, 2023 at 04:07
- 3 min read
- By AFP Philippines
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The false claim was shared on November 11 on a Facebook page called "DOH-Philippine" that uses the logo of the agency as its profile picture.
The post features an image of Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa.
It says in part: "DOH was surprised to discover the main cause of osteoarthritis! Doctors have successfully researched a new method to help patients recover from their illnesses without taking medication. Effective after only 14 days of treatment!"
The post links to an online store that features a milk product called "Grandsure Gold Colostrum Powdered Drink".
According to the World Health Organization, about 528 million people globally were living with osteoarthritis in 2019. The condition -- which causes joints to become painful and stiff -- is a leading cause of disability for the elderly (archived links here and here).
Similar posts claiming the DOH had endorsed a product for osteoarthritis have also been shared on Facebook here, here and here.
Philippine fact-checking organisation Vera Files had earlier these debunked these claims (archived link).
Fabricated product endorsement
In a statement posted on its official Facebook page on November 14, the DOH said: "This endorsement is false. Neither the DOH nor the Secretary has endorsed any such product" (archived link).
A search through the health agency's website and official online platforms, as well as Herbosa's social media accounts did not find any trace of such endorsement for Grandsure Gold Colostrum Powdered Drink (archive links here and here).
Moreover, the Facebook page that misused the health department's name and logo was created on September 18, 2023 and has only around 300 followers.
The official DOH Facebook page bears the blue verification badge. It was created in 2010 and has 8.3 million followers (archived link).
Below is a screenshot comparison of the imposter page (left) and the official DOH page (right):
Experts have said chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis cannot be treated in two weeks, as claimed by the false posts.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the UK National Health Service say there is no cure for osteoarthritis (archived links here and here).
Doctors treat the condition with a combination of therapies that can reduce symptoms, slow its progression and improve the joints' function.
These include exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, physical therapy and taking pain medication.
Braces or surgery are also recommended in some cases, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases in the United States (archived link).
Geraldine Zamora, a Manila-based rheumatologist, earlier told AFP in 2022: "There are usually no quick fixes in the management of these chronic conditions. That's what we also have to make patients understand" (archived link).
She said people selling and promoting unproven treatments can make patients believe "they'll get better faster and permanently, which is really not true."
AFP has repeatedly debunked health misinformation in the Philippines here, here and here.
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