Claim: A Facebook user and top contributor to an online blog “Liberian Influence,” BOB the Diplomat, claimed that Monkeypox killed 537 people in DR Congo in 2024.
Verdict: Misleading! Statistics and reports from UNICEF and the BBC show that more than 537 Mpox deaths were recorded in DR Congo in 2024.
Full Text:
A Facebook user “BOB the Diplomat” shared a post on a popular online platform, “The Liberian Influence,” claiming that nearly 537 people died from the Monkeypox virus in DR Congo in 2024.
The post followed the confirmation of a new M-pox case in Liberia by the Ministry of Health. It generated four comments and three likes, with expressions of disbelief from the post.
DUBAWA decided to conduct a fact check on the claim made by BOB the Diplomat.
Verification
The researcher contacted the claimant to provide sources to back his claim, but he refused to respond to the many inquiries.
A BBC report in November 2024 revealed that at least 900 deaths have been recorded in DR Congo as a result of the M-pox virus.
However, the UNICEF Humanitarian Situation Report No. 4, published on January 8, 2025, shows 1,224 deaths were recorded.
Conclusion
Based on the evidence from UNICEF and the BBC, the Facebook user’s claim is false.