Nigerian UK based DR. Olufunmilayo Ogunsanya on X advised citizens to stop falling for the ‘MP Widal Test’ most hospitals recommended for malaria and typhoid, as he insisted that most of the tests are fake and are used instead to generate money for the hospital or diagnostic centers.
In his words : “On “malaria and typhoid” scam in Nigeria, pls. kindly read this and make sure you share it to everyone you care about.
First things first;
“The vast majority of “malaria and typhoid tests” done in Nigeria (especially that popular ‘MP Widal’ test) is a COMPLETE SCAM and an elaborate fraudulent scheme to defraud you and simply make money for hospitals.
“Yeah. I’ve said this many times. And I will say it again.
“Pls STOP doing “malaria and typhoid test” IF you are well and feel healthy. The common “widal test” done for typhoid is a largely useless and nonspecific test. Also routine malaria testing is a useless exercise in a country like Nigeria where malaria is endemic because almost everybody has the malaria parasite in their system- but not everybody needs any treatment as long as they are well and fine in themselves.
“The actual cold brutal truth is that many of you suffer from some degree of hypochondriasis (which is an anxiety disorder where you persistently feel something is ‘wrong’ with your body or you may have an undiagnosed illness EVEN THOUGH you are well and fine in yourself).
“This makes you keep going to hospitals who then exploit your illness anxiety, make you pay for tests you don’t need and end up giving antimalaria and antibiotics medicines you don’t need to treat an illness that only exists in your imagination. This is why some of you keep “treating malaria and typhoid” every month and it never goes away.
“You know why? You never had any malaria or typhoid that needs treating. What you need is to STOP doing unnecessary tests and go see a therapist or a mental health expert to help you address your hypochondriasis and persistent health anxiety.
“Don’t get me wrong: I am NOT saying all malaria/typhoid testing is useless. NO. I have not said that.
“What I am saying is that if you are well and healthy in yourself, you do NOT need any malaria or typhoid tests.
“If you have fever, vomiting, diarrhea (especially bloody diarrhea), recent travel outside the country or recent visit to somewhere where you drank unclean water and ate unhygienic food, severe headaches, new bitter taste in your mouth, not being able to eat or drink, abdominal pain and you feel very weak and unwell; then yes, you should get tested. This makes perfect sense.
“But to go and be getting “malaria typhoid test” randomly and on a routine regular basis like you are going to the salon for a new hairstyle, is an absolute waste of your time, waste of your money and unnecessary pricking/loss of your blood for useless tests.
“Malaria testing is ONLY relevant IF you are not well. As I said before, in Nigeria, millions of people are bitten regularly by mosquitoes and so they will have a positive malaria test result if you test them.
“There is NO need to “treat” a person who is well and healthy in themselves. The hospitals won’t tell you this because they need to make money: and many of you won’t listen because you like to waste money.
“Anyway the bottom line is simple: IF you are well and feel fine in yourself, THERE IS NO NEED FOR ANY MALARIA OR TYPHOID TESTS.
“I really hope many of you will convert this energy you use chasing unnecessary wasteful malaria tests (when you are well and don’t need it) to rather regularly check your blood pressure at least once a year or once every 6months- because one of the highest risk factors for kidney failure, heart attack, stroke, unexplained paralysis and sudden death in young people is undetected and untreated high blood pressure.”