An Onua TV doctor says cold water does not cause pneumonia and not every fever is malaria.

Published 12 Nov 2026, 15:55 GMT

3 min read

Dr Sandra Osei-Tutu speaking on Onua TV's AwiaBre — Dr Sandra Osei-Tutu on Onua TV's AwiaBre

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A doctor appearing on Onua TV on Thursday has debunked the beliefs that drinking cold water causes pneumonia, every fever is malaria and sugar directly causes diabetes.

Dr Sandra Osei-Tutu on Onua TV's AwiaBre

Dr Sandra Osei-Tutu made the remarks on Onua TV's AwiaBre, taking on myths around pneumonia, malaria and diabetes.

According to Onua TV, she dismissed the idea that cold water, fans or air conditioning cause pneumonia, and the belief that every fever is malaria, confirming none is true. She also said sugar alone does not directly cause diabetes.

Does cold water or sleeping under a fan cause pneumonia?

Pneumonia is an acute respiratory infection that affects the lungs, and it is caused by infectious agents including viruses, bacteria and fungi, according to the World Health Organization.

Children with weakened immune systems face the highest risk, including those with malnutrition, HIV or measles, and those exposed to indoor smoke from cooking fuels, crowded homes or parental smoking.

Cold water, fans and air conditioners appear nowhere among the causes. The germs that cause pneumonia spread when they are inhaled from the nose or throat or pass in droplets from a cough or sneeze.

Pneumonia can be prevented by immunisation against Hib, pneumococcus, measles and whooping cough, while bacterial pneumonia is treated with antibiotics.

Is every fever malaria?

Not every fever is malaria. Malaria is caused by a parasite spread through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, and its early symptoms of fever, headache and chills resemble many other febrile illnesses, the WHO says.

Because the symptoms are difficult to recognise, the WHO recommends confirming every suspected case with microscopy or a rapid diagnostic test, and Ghana follows the same rule in the Health Service's malaria case management guidelines.

Left untreated, falciparum malaria, the deadliest type and the most common in Africa, can turn severe and kill within a day, the WHO warns.

Does sugar cause diabetes?

Eating sugar on its own does not directly cause diabetes. The WHO lists the factors behind type 2 diabetes, which accounts for more than 95 per cent of cases, as excess body weight, physical inactivity and family genes.

To prevent it, the agency advises keeping a healthy body weight, at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week, a healthy diet that avoids sugar and saturated fat, and not smoking.

Saturday, November 14, is World Diabetes Day, and Ghanaian doctors have used the diabetes awareness period to urge regular exercise and weight control.

When to see a doctor

Severe malaria symptoms such as extreme tiredness, confusion, convulsions or difficulty breathing need emergency care immediately, while early treatment stops mild infections becoming severe.

Children with a cough or difficult breathing should be checked for fast breathing or chest indrawing, and severe pneumonia needs hospital care. Diabetes can be detected early through inexpensive blood glucose testing, so regular check-ups matter.

Araba IncoomAraba Incoom writes on multiple topics with a vast knowledge across different sector. You can almost call me an AI, after all, my initials are Araba Incoom.

Cold water, fever and sugar: Doctor debunks common health myths on Onua TV

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