GAF dismisses viral ‘60% HIV-positive applicants’ report, calls it fake news
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), has dismissed a circulating media report which claims that about 60% of applicants undergoing military medical screening had tested positive for HIV.
Describing the claim as “FAKE NEWS,” GAF stated that the recruitment medical process is still underway and emphasized that “no results have been declared” yet, contrary to what the report suggests.
In a statement issued on Sunday, January 25, the Armed Forces acknowledged the said report and assured that efforts are underway to identify the originators of what it described as a the “mischievous story.”
“The attention of GAF has been drawn to a publication circulating in the media, alleging that about 60% of applicants tested for military medical screening were found to be HIV positive. GAF wishes to state categorically that the publication is FAKE NEWS and should be ignored by all. The medical process is ongoing and no results have been declared as at now,” it said.
The statement further called on “media practitioners especially content creators and bloggers/vloggers to be circumspect and crosscheck their facts before going to press.”
Meanwhile, a social media page GF ICON, widely tagged for sharing the said false report, has issued a public apology for its part in spreading the “fake news” and clarified that it sourced the information from X (formerly Twitter).
“We at GF ICON sincerely apologize for a publication made on our platform claiming that about 60% of applicants who took part in the Ghana Armed Forces medical screening were HIV positive. We have since seen an official statement from the Ghana Armed Forces clarifying that this information is false. We therefore wish to state categorically that the publication was fake news which was circulating widely on social media, especially on X (formerly Twitter),” it said.
“We admit fault for failing to properly verify the information before publishing it…and deeply regret any inconvenience, confusion, or reputational harm this publication may have caused the Ghana Armed Forces,” it added.
See GAF Statement Below:
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