A message circulating on social media claims that the Africa Cancer Foundation (ACF) is offering free treatment to breast cancer patients. The message advises the public to email Dorothy Nyong’o, the Managing Trustee of ACF before March 7, 2024.
The message reads: “Goodwill message dear all. Please if you know of any lady battling BREAST CANCER of whatever stage, please advise her to contact [email protected] before 7th March, all medical expenses are free. Please don’t keep this message to yourself, share and forward it to groups and save that woman’s life.”
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Africa Cancer Foundation (ACF), is a non-profit organization that aims to promote cancer awareness, prevention, and management in Africa.
However, The Explainer found a document posted on the Foundation’s website dated February 5, 2024, debunking the claim.
The document said “The message is out-of-date and no longer relevant, and that no free surgeries are being offered this year as the funding is not there.
In early 2022, ACF actually sent out a WhatsApp message, inviting 200 breast cancer patients to sign up for free breast cancer surgeries. The message was sent out by ACF’s Board Member Mrs Dorothy Nyong’o.
The document said ACF was able to offer the surgeries to 200 women who were “in dire need of help.”
However, in February 2024, the message resurfaced on the internet by an unknown source, the document said, because of the circulation, “ACF has now had over 20,000 requests for cancer care through emails, WhatsApp, SMS texts, social media DMs and even visits to the ACF offices.
“Unfortunately, no free surgeries are being offered this year as the funding is not there. The message being circulated is out-of-date and no longer relevant.“ ACF is actively looking for funding to progress with this programme but as yet there is no funding in place.”
It added that once funding is secured, ACF will communicate this information on all its social media platforms.
The Explainer Fact Checker also checked the official X handle of the foundation and found a 2022 post on the Foundation’s X (formerly Twitter) on its cancer screening and treatment. The post confirms that ACF offered free breast cancer surgeries in 2022, but did not mention any of such offers in 2024.
Verdict: False.
The Africa Cancer Foundation has clarified that no free surgeries are being offered this year due to a lack of funding.
Based on the evidence, the Explainer Fact Checker concludes that the message circulating on social media advising breast cancer patients to email Dorothy Nyong’o, Managing Trustee of Africa Cancer Foundation, for free treatment before March 7 is false.
The message is out-of-date and no longer relevant, and the public should not share or forward it.
