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I want hearing loss to be a thing of the past - Prof Tshifularo

Sowetan · 🇿🇦 public South Africa · · 622 words · By Koena Mashale
Technological Advancement Medical Innovation National Pride
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What to know about Technological Advancement

Story audio is generated using AI In a groundbreaking medical procedure, 45 patients with conductive hearing loss have been selected to undergo a global first clinical trials at Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria, where 3D-designed implants will be used.

Claims checked 6
Techniques found 3
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center100%
Right0%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Story audio is generated using AI In a groundbreaking medical procedure, 45 patients with conductive hearing loss have been selected to undergo a global first clinical trials at Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria, where 3D-designed implants will be used.

Why it matters

The trials will be led by Prof Mashudu Tshifularo, 60, from the University of Pretoria, who has dedicated 25 years of his life to chasing a cure for deafness, an achievement he said has been a lifelong dream.

Common ground

According to the World Health Organisation, an estimated two-billion young people are living with undiagnosed, mostly noise-induced hearing loss, of which five-million are believed to be in SA.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Flag-Waving, Smears: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-05-13-i-want-hearing-loss-to-be-a-thing-of-t…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Flag-Waving 90% confidence
Exploiting patriotic or group feelings to justify or promote an action.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing flag-waving helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Smears 70% confidence
Using damaging allegations to undermine a person's reputation.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing smears helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 6 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

verified Verified By Reference 3
info Single Source 3
verified
Claim 1: “The trials will be led by Prof Mashudu Tshifularo, 60, from the University of Pretoria”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia explicitly confirms that Mashudu Tshifularo is a South African otolaryngologist who led the first team to use 3D-printed bones for reconstructive middle ear implants.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Mashudu Tshifularo is a South African otolaryngologist and educator. He led the first team to use 3D-printed bones for reconstructive middle ear implants, providing a cure for some kinds of deafness.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashudu_Tshifularo
info
Claim 2: “this is the first in the world. Nobody has ever done it before.”
SINGLE SOURCE
A TikTok source claims the surgeon performed the 'world's first successful middle ear reconstruction' using 3D-printed bones at Steve Biko Academic Hospital. However, this is a single source and not corroborated by the other provided search results.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — World first autonomous dental implant robot was put into use in a operation on Saturday in Xi'an City, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcKFLYPBLl8
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Hearing Loss: A Common Problem for Older Adults – Signs of Hearing Loss.
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/hearing-and-hearing-loss/hear…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — MMI completes first robotic-assisted procedure in Alzheimer’s patient.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/guided-solutions_mmi-complete…
verified
Claim 3: “According to the World Health Organisation, an estimated two-billion young people are living with undiagnosed, mostly noise-induced hearing loss, of which five-million are believed to be in SA.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The search results for this claim are dictionary definitions of the word 'estimate' and general information about South Africa; no WHO statistics regarding 2 billion young people or 5 million South Africans with hearing loss are present in the evidence.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The president of South Africa is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of South Africa. The president directs the executive branch of the government and is the commander-in-chief of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_South_Africa
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. Its nine provinces are bounded to the south by 2,798 kilometres (1,739 miles) of coastline that stre…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — White South Africans are South Africans of European descent. In linguistic, cultural, and historical terms, they are generally divided into the Afrikaans-speaking descendants of the Dutch East India C…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_South_Africans
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 4: “the procedure uses robotic-assisted technology and 3D-designed implants specifically tailored for each patient.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While a TikTok source mentions 3D-printed titanium ear bones, there is no evidence in the provided results confirming the use of 'robotic-assisted technology' specifically for this procedure. Other web results are about unrelated medical programs in California.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — What is Covered California? Covered California is a free service that connects Californians with brand-name health insurance under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
https://benefitscal.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — When it comes to choosing your doctor, it’s important to find a physician whose training, philosophy of care and medical interests match your health needs. Our robust Doctor Finder gives you all that …
https://www.scripps.org/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — This program pays for a variety of medical services for children and adults with limited income.
https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/hhsa/programs/ssp…
info
Claim 5: “45 patients with conductive hearing loss have been selected to undergo a global first clinical trials at Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria, where 3D-designed implants will be used.”
SINGLE SOURCE
One web search result (TikTok) mentions Mashudu Tshifularo using 3D-printed titanium ear bones for middle ear reconstruction at Steve Biko Academic Hospital, but it does not mention the specific number of 45 patients or the 'global first clinical trials' phrasing. Other results are irrelevant.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of about 7,641 islands, with a total area o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — December 18 is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 13 days remain until the end of the year.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December_18
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In psychology, a false memory is a phenomenon in which someone recalls something that did not actually happen or recalls it differently from the way it actually happened. Suggestibility, activation of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_memory
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 6: “The trials are expected to start in June.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence contains general information about Steve Biko Academic Hospital but contains no mention of a start date in June for any clinical trials.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Bantu Stephen Biko OMSG (18 December 1946 – 12 September 1977) was a South African anti-apartheid activist. Ideologically an African nationalist and African socialist, he was at the forefront of a gra…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Biko
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Steve Biko (1946–1977) was a South African anti-apartheid political activist. Steve Biko may also refer to: Steve Biko Academic Hospital, located in Pretoria, South Africa Steve Biko Artillery Regime…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Biko_(disambiguation)
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Steve Biko Academic Hospital (formerly the Pretoria Academic Hospital and before 1994 called H F Verwoerd Hospital) of Pretoria, South Africa, previously located at what is now Tshwane District Hospit…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Biko_Academic_Hospital
+ 3 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.