Latest news with #SalimAbdoolKarim
Daily Maverick
a day ago
- Health
- Daily Maverick
Deepfake of renowned SA physician used to promote bogus heart medicine
''The [deepfake video] has me saying anti-vax things… This company has just pounced on me, and they're not letting me go,' said Abdool Karim. A deepfake video, generated using artificial intelligence (AI) technology, is using the likeness of the renowned South African physician Prof Salim Abdool Karim to push disinformation about Covid-19 vaccines and promote a bogus heart medicine on social media. Abdool Karim, the director of the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in South Africa (Caprisa), has refuted the contents of the video and reiterated that Covid-19 vaccines are safe. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads 'The [deepfake video] has me saying anti-vax things… This company has just pounced on me, and they're not letting me go. They are using me, and I think they're using me because it's good for their sales,' Abdool Karim told Daily Maverick. Caprisa said, 'Neither Abdool Karim nor Caprisa have endorsed any medicines for any company.' Snake-oil remedy It's the second time the scam company has used an AI deepfake video of Abdool Karim to market its product, with the previous video emerging around September last year. Before that, it used a still image of him on posters for the fake cure, shared on social media. The most recent deepfake video gives the appearance of an SABC news report in which Abdool Karim responds to a presenter. The AI-generated Abdool Karim gives a false account of blood clots linked to Covid-19 vaccines, before encouraging viewers to 'cleanse' their blood vessels using 'a unique formula, breakthrough remedy, that dissolves all types of clots after just one treatment cycle'. Despite the continued misuse of his identity, Abdool Karim said that little legal recourse could be pursued against those responsible. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads 'When [the adverts] first came out, I was furious and I said, 'I'm going to spare no cost in going after these guys'… We hired people to go and investigate it. We spent quite a bit of money, and when … we were getting close to figuring things out, we realised actually, this is best described by a fairground game called Whack-a-Mole,' he said. 'When you try to stop one, another emerges. So, there's no end to this.' The investigating team linked the scam to a Tanzanian company with a warehouse in Midrand, Johannesburg, but just as it narrowed down its search, the operation closed down and disappeared. A few weeks later, another advert using Abdool Karim's image emerged, seemingly shared by the same group. 'We tried to take out an injunction against them, but it proved to be a real challenge because we don't know who we're taking out an injunction against,' said Abdool Karim. 'I realised you actually have no legal recourse against these people, because it's not an established firm. It's not trading on any reputation. It's trading on my reputation because they have no reputation of their own. They're just a fly-by-night… There's nothing that creates an opportunity for us because they're not legal.' The scam company uses paid adverts on Facebook to circulate its marketing material, according to Abdool Karim. From there, users of the platform share the posters or videos on other social media platforms, including WhatsApp. After each advert, Abdool Karim gets up to 20 emails from members of the public seeking to buy the fake medicine, or reporting side effects as a result of its use. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads 'No stone unturned' In a statement released on Thursday, 26 June, the National Department of Health said it was aware of the AI-generated video of Abdool Karim that undermined the safety of Covid-19 vaccines. 'According to our information, these actions are meant to hoodwink members of the public into buying fake heart medicine. This is done through mail order, and the fake product is obviously not working or is making people feel even sicker,' said the health department. 'Minister [of Health Dr Aaron] Motsoaledi condemns in the strongest terms possible the fake news campaign by these charlatans with business interests, who for their nefarious reasons are determined to create confusion among the people for the sake of immoral profiteering.' Motsoaledi encouraged the public to rely on vaccines approved by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) and the National Department of Health. The department said it would leave 'no stone unturned' in combating the efforts of the scam company. Caprisa urged members of the public to: Refer to credible sources such as Caprisa, Sahpra, the Department of Health or a trusted, registered healthcare professional for accurate health information; Verify the authenticity of health claims, products and possible actions that are being recommended; Report any instances of fake news found online directly to the hosting social media platform, such as X, Facebook or TikTok; and Refrain from sharing fake news images, videos or messaging on mobile chat groups. Social media and health disinformation Abdool Karim noted that while there was a long history of disinformation in health, recent years had seen these narratives becoming more organised. Those sharing disinformation no longer had to depend on mainstream media, where fact-checking acted as a barrier to many false claims. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads 'Covid was a turning point, and what [happened during] Covid was that disinformation … became organised and it became amplified through social media,' he said. The 'moguls of social media' had effectively resisted controls and regulations on their platforms, said Abdool Karim, citing the example of a recent development in Canada where the government rescinded a tax on big US technology firms due to US President Donald Trump threatening to call off negotiations over a trade deal. 'That just tells you how much [Trump] is in the pocket of these social media moguls, and they will not tolerate any regulation. They will fight regulation in any country … because they see it as … affecting their bottom line,' he said. 'All of these companies have now either reduced or completely eliminated their curation and fact checking… I actually don't hold out much hope that we can reasonably regulate and control these big companies. Every indication is the opposite. They control everyone else.' Reflecting on the changes that could reduce the spread of disinformation on virtual platforms, Abdool Karim said there should be a warning label on social media pages that had not been fact-checked, showing that the content may not be true. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads 'The second thing is that I think we need to educate the next group of youngsters that they should have a high level of healthy scepticism when they go on to social media platforms because I worry that they think it's all real, and that they get sucked into these fake worlds,' he said. 'We have to educate the next generation to understand that everything they see [on social media] should be taken first and foremost … as a lie.' DM
News24
2 days ago
- Health
- News24
Deepfake SABC interview with Abdool Karim slammed as dangerous Covid-19 disinformation
A video depicting Professor Salim Abdool Karim criticising Covid-19 vaccines has been condemned as fabricated and harmful by the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (Caprisa) and the national Department of Health. Caprisa is a leading research institute focusing on HIV, tuberculosis, and related infectious diseases. It aims to improve public health through scientific research that informs policy and practice. Abdool Karim, an epidemiologist and now Caprisa's director, rose to public prominence during South Africa's initial Covid-19 response as the chairperson of the Ministerial Advisory Committee. In the AI-generated video, which circulated widely on social media but has now started to dissipate, Abdool Karim is falsely shown in an interview with SABC news anchor Oliver Dickson. During the fabricated exchange, the professor appears to claim that Covid-19 vaccines are causing harm and fatalities. The interview never took place, and both Caprisa and the Department of Health have categorically dismissed its contents as false. Dickson also released a statement saying the interview never happened: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Oliver Dickson (@oliver_speaking) In a public statement, Caprisa said: 'Abdool Karim refutes in its entirety the contents of this latest fake video that is currently being circulated on social media sites and other communication applications.' The institute reaffirmed that Professor Abdool Karim has long supported the scientific consensus on Covid-19 vaccines, and rejected any suggestion that he or the organisation had endorsed alternative products: Covid-19 vaccines are indeed safe. Furthermore, neither Abdool Karim nor Caprisa has endorsed any medicines for any company. Caprisa urged the public to verify health-related claims with trusted sources, such as the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra), the Department of Health, or a registered healthcare professional. It also urged users not to forward the video in WhatsApp groups or on social media and to make 'informed health decisions based on trusted and credible scientific evidence'. Health minister warns of misinformation-for-profit The Department of Health echoed Caprisa's concerns. Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi described the video as part of a 'sustained campaign of misinformation and disinformation' aimed at undermining public confidence in life-saving vaccines. 'The latest fake news campaign, driven by artificial intelligence applications, has targeted a distinguished South African scientist, Abdool Karim, who is portrayed as warning South Africans about the purportedly deadly effects of the Covid-19 vaccines that saved the lives of many South Africans during the difficult time of the pandemic,' the department said. According to the department, the campaign is not simply ideological – it is also financially motivated. The individuals behind the video are believed to be promoting unregulated mail-order remedies that falsely claim to treat cardiovascular illness. 'These actions are meant to hoodwink members of the public into buying fake heart medicine. This is done through mail order, and the fake product is not working or is making people feel even sicker.' Motsoaledi condemned the 'charlatans with business interests' behind the video. Part of a broader Covid-19 disinformation resurgence The deepfake video is the latest in a string of vaccine-related hoaxes gaining traction in South Africa. In recent weeks, News24's Disinformation Desk has debunked a viral video that claimed that Japanese data from 18 million vaccinated people proved people die sooner with each additional Covid-19 dose. The video presented no individual-level data, no peer-reviewed methodology, and no official endorsement from Japanese authorities. Despite this, the video was promoted by anti-vaccine activists, including Tim Noakes, who used it to renew his long-standing opposition to mRNA vaccines. But health authorities in South Africa, Japan, and globally continue to affirm that Covid-19 vaccines significantly reduce the risk of severe illness and death. Other hoaxes include a widely shared Facebook post warning of a 'deadly' new Covid-Omicron XBB variant, which News24 has shown to be a rehashed false post that's already several years old.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
US aid cuts threaten South Africa's status as powerhouse of HIV and tuberculosis research
South Africa risks losing its status as a powerhouse of HIV and tuberculosis research as sweeping American funding cuts jeopardise dozens of experimental trials. At least 27 HIV trials and another 20 TB trials in the country have been put at risk by Donald Trump's deep cuts to foreign assistance and global health spending, new analysis shows. Loss of the trials would hit research projects looking for new vaccines into both infections, as well as new long-lasting protective medicines and studies into the best way to treat children. Having intense HIV and TB epidemics as well as world class universities and research institutes has made South Africa a leader in combating the two diseases. Yet while the research has often been led by South African scientists, it has overwhelmingly been conducted with international funding, particularly with 20 years of generous United States government aid spending. Prof Salim Abdool Karim, director of the Centre for the Aids Program of Research in South Africa, said: 'The US is such a big player in our country – South Africa is a powerhouse in medical research because of what the US spends.' The bulk of funding for research came from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), with the country receiving an estimated £111m ($150m) each year. Prof Ntobeko Ntusi, the president and chief executive of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), said earlier this year: 'In many ways the South African health research landscape has been a victim of its own success, because for decades we have been the largest recipients of both [official development assistance] funding from the US for research [and] also the largest recipients of NIH funding outside of the US.' Now, unless alternative sources of money can be found, South African academic and research institutes could lose about 30 per cent of their annual income and may be forced to lay off hundreds of staff, the analysis found. 'There's been a huge dependence on US funding. The loss of it for South Africa means the cancellation of a huge amount of research,' said Tom Ellman, director of the MSF's Southern Africa Medical Unit (SAMU). The joint analysis by Treatment Action Group (TAG) and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) of NIH-funded research found 39 TB and HIV clinical research sites are under threat, placing at least 27 HIV trials and 20 TB trials at risk. The effect of cuts could be wider still, with research also funded through other US channels, including the US President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar), which has been slashed by Donald Trump's administration. Lindsay McKenna, TB project co-director of TAG said: 'Public funding from the US government to South Africa is the scaffold on which pharmaceutical companies, philanthropies, and other governments invest in transformative TB and HIV science.' 'These ongoing funding disruptions by the US government don't just affect US-funded research projects, they put in peril a much wider ecosystem of global research.' Dr Ellman said a combination of the infections found in South Africa, its research base and its strong grass roots activism had combined, with US funding, to make the country so prominent in research. He said: 'For years, South Africa has spearheaded the research and development of critical innovative medical tools for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care of HIV and TB which have saved lives not just within South Africa's borders, but also in communities worldwide.' The country has more HIV patients than any other, with an estimated 8 million currently infected and 105,000 deaths annually. The high prevalence of HIV goes hand-in-hand with a high prevalence of tuberculosis, because TB takes advantage of patients' weakened immune systems. Tuberculosis is the biggest cause of death among those with HIV in South Africa, which recorded 54,000 TB deaths in 2023. At the same time, the country has strong research institutions and universities, and a history of medical innovation, including conducting the first heart transplant in 1969. Finally, the history of the apartheid struggle, and later the fight in the early 2000s to get antiretroviral drugs in the face of government AIDS denialism, has produced well-organised and politically-engaged health activists. According to the joint analysis, HIV trials now at risk include studies into using broadly neutralising antibodies (bNAbs) to find a cure, and also trials into long-lasting anti-HIV preventative jabs. The Brilliant Consortium, a collaboration of African researchers led by the SAMRC working to develop an HIV vaccine, lost all funding even as it was about to begin an early stage vaccine trial. Dr Ellman said: 'I think it would be a disaster if we gave up on the hope of finding an effective vaccine for HIV. All of that has been done with South Africa and without access to South African research and communities, it's not going to be possible.' The emergence of some resistance to antiretroviral drugs has also highlighted the importance of trials to find new drugs which can deal with the phenomenon. HIV trials are also looking at honing and improving existing treatment regimes, as well as simplifying and rolling out expensive techniques first used in the developing world. TB trials at risk include studies for new drugs and shorter, safer regimens for treatment and prevention. The cuts have a ripple effect beyond individual trials, because they also weaken research infrastructure which is used and relied on by other funders. That could have a knock-on effect on trials looking at new TB jab possibilities, including the promising new M72/AS01E vaccine candidate. South Africa is now scrabbling for alternative sources of funding to try to salvage as many of the research projects as possible. Dr Ellman said: 'We call on all potential donors to step up, as without sustained investment, we will never end these deadly epidemics.' Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
10-06-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
US aid cuts threaten South Africa's status as powerhouse of HIV and tuberculosis research
South Africa risks losing its status as a powerhouse of HIV and tuberculosis research as sweeping American funding cuts jeopardise dozens of experimental trials. At least 27 HIV trials and another 20 TB trials in the country have been put at risk by Donald Trump's deep cuts to foreign assistance and global health spending, new analysis shows. Loss of the trials would hit research projects looking for new vaccines into both infections, as well as new long-lasting protective medicines and studies into the best way to treat children. Having intense HIV and TB epidemics as well as world class universities and research institutes has made South Africa a leader in combating the two diseases. Yet while the research has often been led by South African scientists, it has overwhelmingly been conducted with international funding, particularly with 20 years of generous United States government aid spending. Prof Salim Abdool Karim, director of the Centre for the Aids Program of Research in South Africa, said: 'The US is such a big player in our country – South Africa is a powerhouse in medical research because of what the US spends.' The bulk of funding for research came from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), with the country receiving an estimated £111m ($150m) each year. Prof Ntobeko Ntusi, the president and chief executive of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), said earlier this year: 'In many ways the South African health research landscape has been a victim of its own success, because for decades we have been the largest recipients of both [official development assistance] funding from the US for research [and] also the largest recipients of NIH funding outside of the US.' Now, unless alternative sources of money can be found, South African academic and research institutes could lose about 30 per cent of their annual income and may be forced to lay off hundreds of staff, the analysis found. 'There's been a huge dependence on US funding. The loss of it for South Africa means the cancellation of a huge amount of research,' said Tom Ellman, director of the MSF's Southern Africa Medical Unit (SAMU). The joint analysis by Treatment Action Group (TAG) and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) of NIH-funded research found 39 TB and HIV clinical research sites are under threat, placing at least 27 HIV trials and 20 TB trials at risk. The effect of cuts could be wider still, with research also funded through other US channels, including the US President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar), which has been slashed by Donald Trump's administration. Global research 'in peril' Lindsay McKenna, TB project co-director of TAG said: 'Public funding from the US government to South Africa is the scaffold on which pharmaceutical companies, philanthropies, and other governments invest in transformative TB and HIV science.' 'These ongoing funding disruptions by the US government don't just affect US-funded research projects, they put in peril a much wider ecosystem of global research.' Dr Ellman said a combination of the infections found in South Africa, its research base and its strong grass roots activism had combined, with US funding, to make the country so prominent in research. He said: 'For years, South Africa has spearheaded the research and development of critical innovative medical tools for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care of HIV and TB which have saved lives not just within South Africa's borders, but also in communities worldwide.' The country has more HIV patients than any other, with an estimated 8 million currently infected and 105,000 deaths annually. The high prevalence of HIV goes hand-in-hand with a high prevalence of tuberculosis, because TB takes advantage of patients' weakened immune systems. Tuberculosis is the biggest cause of death among those with HIV in South Africa, which recorded 54,000 TB deaths in 2023. At the same time, the country has strong research institutions and universities, and a history of medical innovation, including conducting the first heart transplant in 1969. Finally, the history of the apartheid struggle, and later the fight in the early 2000s to get antiretroviral drugs in the face of government AIDS denialism, has produced well-organised and politically-engaged health activists. According to the joint analysis, HIV trials now at risk include studies into using broadly neutralising antibodies (bNAbs) to find a cure, and also trials into long-lasting anti-HIV preventative jabs. The Brilliant Consortium, a collaboration of African researchers led by the SAMRC working to develop an HIV vaccine, lost all funding even as it was about to begin an early stage vaccine trial. Dr Ellman said: 'I think it would be a disaster if we gave up on the hope of finding an effective vaccine for HIV. All of that has been done with South Africa and without access to South African research and communities, it's not going to be possible.' The emergence of some resistance to antiretroviral drugs has also highlighted the importance of trials to find new drugs which can deal with the phenomenon. HIV trials are also looking at honing and improving existing treatment regimes, as well as simplifying and rolling out expensive techniques first used in the developing world. TB trials at risk include studies for new drugs and shorter, safer regimens for treatment and prevention. The cuts have a ripple effect beyond individual trials, because they also weaken research infrastructure which is used and relied on by other funders. That could have a knock-on effect on trials looking at new TB jab possibilities, including the promising new M72/AS01E vaccine candidate. South Africa is now scrabbling for alternative sources of funding to try to salvage as many of the research projects as possible. Dr Ellman said: 'We call on all potential donors to step up, as without sustained investment, we will never end these deadly epidemics.'
eNCA
15-05-2025
- Health
- eNCA
Effect of US funding cuts on HIV programmes
JOHANNESBURG - The health minister promises South Africans, that the country's HIV programme will not collapse despite funding cuts. Professor Salim Abdool Karim is the Director of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa.
