TikTok posts falsely claim Ethiopia’s health minister and her deputy quit over medical strike
- Published on May 20, 2025 at 16:20
- 4 min read
- By Tolera FIKRU GEMTA, AFP Ethiopia
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“The minister of health has resigned,” reads the text overlay on a TikTok video posted on May 7, 2025.
The video, which contains a picture of Mekdes, has been shared more than 820 times.
The Ethiopian health professionals had given the government seven days to respond to their demands before going on strike. The post was shared on TikTok during this period.
People commenting on the post hailed Mekdes for purportedly stepping down.
“She is a hero,” read one comment. “The struggle should start from the top leaders. Other officials should learn from her decision.”
Another user added: “She did the best thing. The health workers’ demand should be met.”
A similar post published by the same TikTok account a week later claimed Mekdes’ deputy Dereje Duguma, whose official title is State Minister of Health, had also stepped aside.
“The health professionals’ demand is leading to protests,” reads a text overlay at the bottom of the video, posted on May 14, 2025 – a day after the partial strike by healthcare workers began (archived here).
Shared more than 730 times, the clip contains a photo of Dereje.
Health professionals strike
On May 7, 2025, the Ethiopian Health Professionals Association (EHPA) urged the government to immediately address the demands made by the sector’s workforce, giving a week’s notice of their intention to strike (archived here).
The nationwide partial strike began on May 13, 2025, to demand fair pay, better benefits and risk compensation.
The strike coordinators reported on May 14, 2025 that several health workers and medical students were reportedly arrested in different parts of Ethiopia as the strike gained momentum across the country (archived here).
However, the claims that both the health minister and her deputy resigned because of the strike are false.
Minister seen in public
Both Mekdes and Dereje made public appearances and statements in their official capacities days after the claims about their purported resignations were posted.
Mekdes appeared on the state-owned Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation and spoke about the list of strike demands and ongoing efforts to address them (archived here).
“A new proclamation was recently passed that provides health insurance for health professionals and the cost will be fully covered by the government,” Mekdes said in her interview on May 12, 2025. She also pointed out that the new law provides further benefits for health professionals.
Three days later, she issued a stern warning to striking workers, saying that “strikes in the health sector are prohibited by law” and announced legal action against those who refused to return to work (archived here).
Mekdes again appeared on EBC News on May 19, 2025, and said, "Health professionals are performing their professional duties in health facilities." Despite this, she indicated that some medical schools' activities have been interrupted over the strike (archived here).
Meanwhile, Dereje posted a message on Facebook about the strike a day after the claim about his resignation was published.
He denounced the actions of individuals whom he accused of hijacking the interests of health workers to advance their political plans amidst the strike.
“I want to assure that the attempt to hijack health professionals for a political agenda will not achieve its objective,” he posted in Amharic (archived here).
The healthy ministry confirmed to AFP Fact Check that the claims about both ministers were unfounded.
“This is completely false,” a health ministry spokesman said.
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