This text was published by MEDDMO, one of fifteen EDMO Hubs.
This is the third in a series of weekly briefs produced by MedDMO in the run-up to Malta’s general election on 30th May 2026. The previous briefs can be found here and here. This week saw the leaders of each political party contesting Malta’s general election face off for the first time in a debate in this campaign. This was not without disinformation, and several other things also happened during the week that we think worthy of note. The prime minister makes a misleading claim about cancer medication to appeal to voters. During the debate held at the University of Malta on 18th May, in response to the Opposition leader Alex Borg’s promise that all cancer treatment will be given for free if the Nationalist Party is elected, Prime Minister Robert Abela stated that Borg “is not aware of what we are already doing” because “we give all the best cancer treatment medication” at the state’s oncology centre. The insinuation was that said treatment is given for free, by the government. This is factually incorrect. The Maltese government does not fund all cancer treatment, as most cancer patients can attest. At least one member of our team knows this from…