Tag Archives: risk

Sudan war exacerbates risk of cholera and malaria: UNICEF

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In a report released Wednesday, UNICEF highlighted the growing threat of cholera in the war-torn country, with more than 7,700 cases and 185 associated deaths reported in Khartoum State alone since January 2025. Alarmingly, over 1,000 cases have affected children under the age of five.

Since the onset of conflict in April 2023, three million people have been forced to flee their homes, displaced internally and across the region.

Returning to homes without water

While improved access to parts of Khartoum State has enabled more than 34,000 people to return since January, many are coming back to homes that have been severely damaged and lack access to basic water and sanitation services.

Recent attacks on power infrastructure in Khartoum State have compounded the crisis, disrupting water supplies and forcing families to collect water from unsafe, contaminated sources.

This significantly increases the risk of cholera, particularly in densely populated areas such as displacement camps.

UNICEF has implemented a multi-pronged approach to the crisis, including distributing household water treatment chemicals, delivering over 1.6 million oral cholera vaccines, supplying cholera treatment kits, and more.

“Each day, more children are exposed to this double threat of cholera and malnutrition, but both are preventable and treatable, if we can reach children in time,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative for Sudan.

Malaria and new prevention efforts

Also on Wednesday, UNICEF launched a partnership with the Sudanese government’s health ministry and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to distribute nearly 15.6 million insecticide-treated bed nets to prevent the spread of malaria among vulnerable families across Sudan, along with 500,000 additional nets for antenatal and immunization facilities.

The campaign aims to protect 28 million Sudanese across 14 states.

As with cholera, ongoing conflict and displacement have created conditions conducive to the spread of malaria. Overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions, coupled with the approaching rainy season, present a serious health risk to millions, particularly those returning to damaged communities.

In addition, the initiative aims to bolster the availability of anti-malarial medications, rapid diagnostic tests, and investments in strengthening the healthcare system.

Critical medical supplies reach West Darfur

In a more positive development, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced Tuesday that El Geneina Hospital in West Darfur has received eight tonnes of medical supplies for nutrition, non-communicable diseases and mental health.

The delivery, supported by the World Bank Africa, the Share Project, and the European Union, is expected to sustain the hospital’s operations for six months, providing vital support to one of the regions hardest hit by the multiple escalating crises.

What’s your poison? Alcohol linked to higher risk of pancreatic cancer

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The research, led by the UN World Health Organization’s centre for cancer research, pooled data from nearly 2.5 million people across Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America.

It revealed a “modest but significant” association between alcohol consumption and the risk of developing pancreatic cancer, regardless of sex or smoking status.

“Alcohol consumption is a known carcinogen, but until now, the evidence linking it specifically to pancreatic cancer has been considered inconclusive,” said Pietro Ferrari, senior author of the study at the international cancer research agency and Head of Nutrition and Metabolism Branch at the WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

The pancreas is a vital organ that produces enzymes for digestion and hormones that regulate blood sugar. Pancreatic cancer is among the most lethal cancers, largely due to late diagnosis.

All drinkers are at risk

The IARC study found that each additional 10 grams of alcohol consumed per day was associated with a 3 per cent increase in pancreatic cancer risk.

For women consuming 15 to 30 grams of alcohol daily – about one to two drinks – the risk rose by 12 per cent compared to light drinkers. Among men, those who drank 30 to 60 grams daily faced a 15 per cent increased risk, while men drinking more than 60 grams daily saw a 36 per cent higher risk.

“Alcohol is often consumed in combination with tobacco, which has led to questions about whether smoking might confound the relationship,” Mr. Ferrari said.

“However, our analysis showed that the association between alcohol and pancreatic cancer risk holds even for non-smokers, indicating that alcohol itself is an independent risk factor.”

Further research is needed, he added, to better understand the impact of lifetime alcohol consumption, including patterns such as binge drinking and early-life exposure.

A growing global challenge

Pancreatic cancer is the twelfth most common cancer globally, but it accounts for 5 per cent of cancer-related deaths due to its high fatality rate.

In 2022, incidence and mortality rates were up to five times higher in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand, and Eastern Asia than in other regions.

Haiti: Displaced children face sexual violence risk

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Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, gang violence has permeated the capital Port-au-Prince and expanded into other regions, displacing over one million people.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that more than half of the displaced are children, meaning one in eight Haitian children has been uprooted in recent years. 

Children on the frontlines

Such displacement puts an already vulnerable population further at risk, increasing their chances of malnutrition, sexual violence and abuse.   The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has documented a 1,000 per cent increase in sexual violence against children between 2023 and 2024.

Continued displacement also puts children at risk of being recruited by gangs – they are already estimated to make up 50 per cent of all gangs in Haiti.

OCHA said the shocking death of a six-year-old girl on 3 May after she was brutally raped in a temporary displacement site in Port-au-Prince was a stark reminder of the extreme dangers faced by children living in highly precarious conditions.

“This intolerable act shakes our conscience,” the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti, Ulrika Richardson, said in a statement.

‘No child should ever endure such violence. We hope that justice will be served.”

‘We cannot look away’ 

Despite increased challenges to providing aid in Haiti, UN humanitarian partners have stepped up efforts to support survivors of sexual violence across affected regions.

In the past few months, over 6,000 people, many of whom are women and children, have received psychosocial care. Additionally, 745 dignity kits have been distributed and 600 people have been reached by an increasing number of mobile care clinics.

Partners are also implementing legal, medical and socio-economic reintegration services.

However, the ability of UN agencies and partners to continue distributing this aid is impaired by severe underfunding. In relation to gender-based violence alone, the UN has only received five percent of the $11 million needed to continue providing life-saving services.   

Ms. Richardson upheld the UN’s commitment to children in Haiti 

“We cannot look away,” she said. “The suffering of Haiti’s children is a call to our collective humanity. Acting together, in a coordinated and determined manner, is more necessary than ever to protect civilians and secure displacement sites.” 

Deported migrants pass the border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti in Ouanaminthe.

Pregnant women deported

UN humanitarians in Haiti have also expressed deep concern over the growing number of pregnant and breastfeeding women being deported from neighbouring Dominican Republic, in violation of international standards.

For the past month, approximately 30 women who are pregnant or breastfeeding have been treated at humanitarian centres on the Haitian border. 

“These expulsions raise serious humanitarian and human rights concerns, particularly when they involve pregnant women or mothers with very young children,” Ms. Richardson said. 

The deportations are part of a larger increase which witnessed over 20,000 deportations from the Dominican Republic in April alone, the highest number on record.  

The UN team in Haiti called for regional solidarity and migrational policies which uphold human dignity. 

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AI threatens one in four jobs – but transformation, not replacement, is the real risk

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One in four jobs worldwide is potentially exposed to what’s known as generative artificial intelligence – or Generative AI – according to a new joint study from the UN labour agency (ILO) and Poland’s National Research Institute. The study finds that transforming job descriptions, not widespread job loss, is the more likely result.

Generative AI (GenAI) refers to systems that can create content such as text, images, code or data summaries in response to user prompts. As such tools become more widely used, they are expected to reshape the tasks employees perform each day.

The new ILO-NASK index draws from nearly 30,000 real-world job descriptions using worker surveys, expert reviews and AI models to identify occupations most susceptible to AI driven change.

“Few jobs consist of tasks that are fully automatable with current AI technology,” the authors write. “Transformation of jobs is the most likely impact of GenAI.”

GAVI Alliance/Evelyn Hockstein

A baby has his general health recorded by a data clerk.

Women face disproportionate exposure

The study finds that in high-income countries, jobs considered at the highest risk of AI-driven task automation account for 9.6 per cent of female employment – nearly three times the share for men.

Worldwide, 4.7 per cent of women’s jobs fall into the highest-risk category, compared with 2.4 per cent for men.

This disparity is due largely to the overrepresentation of women in clerical and administrative roles, which are among the most exposed occupational groups.

These jobs often involve tasks such as data entry and document formatting and scheduling, functions that AI technologies can already perform efficiently.

While these roles are unlikely to disappear entirely, the report warns that partial automation could reduce job quality, leading to fewer responsibilities, stagnating wages and growing insecurity.

Without targeted training or role redesign, some workers – particularly women – may face limited opportunities to adapt.

A global, unequal picture

The report also identifies stark differences across regions. In high-income countries, 34 per cent of jobs are in occupations exposed to GenAI, compared to just 11 per cent in low-income countries.

Middle-income regions such as Latin America and parts of Asia fall somewhere in between.

Europe and Central Asia show the highest gender disparities, driven by high female employment in clerical roles and widespread digital adoption.

Regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and the Arab States currently show lower overall exposure but could still experience significant disruption if AI technologies spread without safeguards.

The study cautions that lower exposure does not equal lower risk. In regions where digital access is limited or labour protections are weak, even small-scale automation could destabilise vulnerable sectors.

Turning insight into action

To ensure that the transition to generative AI supports rather than displaces workers, ILO urges governments, employers and workers’ organisations to act decisively.

Central to the recommended response is the need to strengthen access to digital skills and training, particularly for women and those working in clerical or administrative roles.

The agency also highlights the importance of integrating AI planning into broader labour market and education policies.

Preparing workforces for transformation will require not only technical training, but also supportive infrastructure, modernised curricula, and alignment between employers’ needs and national policies.

Inclusivity’s a must

At the heart of this transition, authors stress, must be inclusive social dialogue. Workers should have a say in how GenAI is introduced and used in the workplace, and their experiences must inform decisions about implementation.

Without this engagement, the risks of unequal outcomes, including widening gender gaps and declining job quality, will be much greater.

Finally, the report emphasises that regions with limited digital access must not be left behind. Expanding infrastructure and ensuring equitable access to technology are critical steps in enabling all countries to shape the future of work on their own terms.

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Half of women’s organizations in crisis zones risk closure within six months

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Across 73 countries, 308 million people now rely on humanitarian aid – a number that continues to rise. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by these crises, facing preventable pregnancy-related deaths, malnutrition, and alarming levels of sexual violence.

Despite the growing need, the humanitarian system is facing severe funding shortfalls, threatening life-saving services for women and girls.

Programmes suspended

According to a UN survey conducted among 411 women-led and women’s rights organizations providing services in crisis areas, 90 per cent have already been hit by funding cuts.

A staggering 51 per cent have been forced to suspend programmes, including those that support survivors of gender-based violence.

Pushed to the brink, almost three-quarters of the organizations surveyed also reported having to lay off staff – many at significant levels.

Already underfunded even before the recent wave of cuts, women’s organizations serve as a “lifeline” for women and girls, particularly in crisis settings.

With these organizations serving as cornerstones of humanitarian response, Sofia Calltorp, Chief of UN Women Humanitarian Action, called the situation “critical”, as funding cuts threaten essential, life-saving services.

Local women’s leadership

Despite the growing challenges, women’s organizations remain unwavering – “leading with courage, advocating for their communities, and rebuilding lives with resilience and determination,” said the UN gender equality agency.

In light of the findings, UN Women recommends prioritising and tracking direct, flexible, and multi-year funding to local women-led and women’s rights organizations whose work is under threat.

Placing local women’s leadership and meaningful participation at the centre is a core pillar of a humanitarian reset. “Supporting and resourcing them is not only a matter of equality and rights, but also a strategic imperative,” said Ms Calltorp.

GAZA LIVE: Security Council to meet on aid crisis amid ‘critical risk of famine’ due to Israeli blockade

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The Security Council is set to meet this afternoon at 3 PM in New York to discuss the deepening crisis in Gaza, where humanitarians warn of “a critical risk of famine” and aid shipments have been blocked for over 70 days. UN relief chief Tom Fletcher is expected to brief ambassadors. Follow live for key updates from UN Headquarters and reports from the region. App users can follow coverage here.

More than 50 million in West and Central Africa at risk of hunger

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More than 36 million are struggling to meet their basic food needs, which is projected to rise to over 52 million during the lean season from June to August, latest analysis reveals.

This includes almost three million people facing emergency conditions, and 2,600 people in Mali who are at risk of catastrophic hunger.

Although needs are at a historic high, resources are limited, with millions of lives at stake. 

“Without immediate funding, WFP will be forced to scale down even further both in the number of people reached and the size of food rations distributed,” said Margot van der Velden, Regional Director for West and Central Africa. 

‘Extremely difficult and dire’ 

In 2019, only four per cent of the population was food insecure compared to 30 per cent today, according to Ollo Sib, a senior research adviser with WFP.

“We hope that our voice will be heard because this food security situation in the Sahel remains extremely difficult and dire,” he said, speaking from Dakar to journalists in Geneva.

Mr. Sib recently travelled to some of the affected areas, such as communities in northern Ghana grappling with unprecedented drought.

“They were forced to replant two to three times, and for them, each failed sowing is an additional financial burden as the cost of fertilisers and seeds were extremely high in those locations,” he said.

The assessment team also went to northern Mali, which is the only place in the region where people are facing catastrophic food security conditions.

“We had the opportunity to interact with pastoralist elders who typically sell their livestock to buy cereals,” he said. 

“This year they were worried because the cost of food rose by 50 per cent compared to the five-year average. But at the same time, they are not able to access markets to sell their goods.” 

Fighting, food inflation and floods

WFP said unyielding conflict is among the factors driving deepening hunger in West and Central Africa.  

Fighting has displaced more than 10 million of the most vulnerable people across the region, including more than two million refugees and asylum seekers, in Chad, Cameroon, Mauritania and Niger. 

Nearly eight million more have been internally displaced, mainly in Nigeria and Cameroon. 

Meanwhile, food inflation exacerbated by rising food and fuel costs are pushing hunger levels to new highs.

At the same time, recurrent extreme weather “erodes the ability of families to feed themselves,” WFP said. 

© WFP/Desire Joseph Ouedraogo

Vulnerable populations in Morolaba, Burkina Faso, receive emergency airlifted food assistance.

Five million at risk

WFP stands ready to respond and scale up vital assistance in West Africa and the Sahel. The UN agency is seeking $710 million to support its life-saving operations through the end of October.

The aim is to reach almost 12 million people this year with critical assistance.

So far, teams have already reached three million of the most vulnerable including refugees, internally displaced people, malnourished children under five, and pregnant or breastfeeding women and girls.

The agency said that five million risk losing assistance unless urgent funding is found.

Address root causes

WFP also called for governments and partners to invest in sustainable solutions aimed at building resilience and reducing long-term dependency on aid.

Since 2018, the UN agency has been working with regional governments to address the root causes of hunger through a programme that has rehabilitated over 300,000 hectares of land to support over four million people in more than 3,400 villages. 

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Lives of pregnant women and newborns at risk as funding cuts impact midwifery support

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But despite their critical role, UN support for midwifery is under serious threat due to severe funding cuts.

Each year, three-quarters of all maternal deaths occur in just 25 countries, the majority of them located in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, according to the UN reproductive health agency, UNFPA. 

Midwives are often the first and only responders delivering life-saving care to pregnant women and their newborns in crisis settings, where the risk of dying during pregnancy or childbirth doubles.

Funding cuts are now forcing UNFPA to scale back its support for midwifery. In eight of the affected countries the agency will only be able to fund 47 per cent of the 3,521 midwives it had intended to support in 2025.

On the frontline

In times of crisis, women often lose critical access to vital maternity services. Coming to the rescue in the direst of circumstances and serving as a lifeline to pregnant women, “midwives save lives,” said Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of UNFPA.

UN support for midwives in humanitarian settings includes training, providing supplies and equipment and in some cases transportation for mobile health clinics. All this is having to be cut back amid the funding cuts. 

“When crises strike and systems break down, midwives step up,” said UNFPA, marking International Day of the Midwife.

Funding cuts

Amid a global shortage of nearly one million midwives, rising death rates among women and newborns in conflict zones and fragile contexts are now being reported following budget cuts.

“We’re lacking everything, from blood bags to medicines. With the support of UNFPA and other partners, we can still provide services – but for how long?” said Fabrice Bishenge, Director of Kyeshero General Hospital in eastern DR Congo.

Deaths during childbirth in fragile and conflict-affected settings now account for 60 per cent of all maternal deaths globally. Worldwide, deep funding cuts only exacerbate this trend. In Yemen, for instance, over 590,000 women of childbearing age are expected to lose access to a midwife.

© UNICEF/Mukhtar Neikrawa

The waiting room of a maternity hospital in Herat Province, Afghanistan.

New initiative

In light of the current funding crisis, UNFPA and partners recently launched the Global Midwifery Accelerator — a coordinated initiative to scale up midwife-led care in countries with the highest maternal mortality rates.

The initiative sets out a cost-effective roadmap focused on saving lives and strengthening national health systems, even in the most fragile contexts.

Making an urgent call for greater funding, training, and advocacy for midwifery, UNFPA stressed that universal midwife-led health coverage could avert two-thirds of maternal and newborn deaths, reduce healthcare costs, and lead to more productive workforces. 

Largely eradicated diseases at risk of returning due to budget cuts

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Cuts to global health funding are leading to a rise in outbreaks of diseases that vaccines had nearly wiped out, the UN health agency, WHO, is warning on Thursday.

In Africa’s “meningitis belt”, which spans parts of sub-Saharan Africa, vaccination campaigns had successfully eliminated meningitis A. Similarly, improved routine immunization and emergency vaccine stockpiles drastically reduced cases of yellow fever and related deaths.

But this progress is now at risk. “Funding cuts to global health have put these hard-won gains in jeopardy,” warned Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization.

Outbreaks on the rise

In 2023, measles cases were estimated at more than 10.3 million – a 20 per cent increase compared to 2022.

WHO, UN Children’s Fund UNICEF and their partners warned in a statement marking the beginning of World Immunization Week that this upward trend is expected to continue into 2025.

Yellow fever is also making a comeback. After years of declining cases in Africa thanks to improved vaccine access, 2025 has already seen a rise in outbreaks across the continent. Cases have also been confirmed in the Americas.

Misinformation threat

Vaccination efforts are increasingly under pressure due to a combination of misinformation, population growth, humanitarian crises, and funding cuts.

Earlier this month, a WHO review across 108 countries found that nearly half are experiencing moderate to severe disruptions to vaccination campaigns, routine immunisations, and supply chains due to falling donor support.

“The global funding crisis is severely limiting our ability to vaccinate over 15 million vulnerable children in fragile and conflict-affected countries against measles,” said Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF.

Vaccines offer high returns

Vaccines save around 4.2 million lives each year, protecting against 14 different diseases. Almost half of those lives are saved in Africa.

Despite this, falling investment now risks the re-emergence of diseases once thought to be under control.

Health experts emphasise that immunization is one of the most cost-effective health interventions. Every $1 invested in vaccines brings an estimated return of $54 through better health and economic productivity.

UNICEF, WHO, and their partners are calling on parents, the public, and political leaders to support immunization programmes and ensure long-term investment in vaccines and public health systems.

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RBI Governor Warns of ‘Systemic Risks’ from AI in Banking Sector

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The increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in the global financial sector could pose significant risks to financial stability if not properly managed, according to Shaktikanta Das, the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Speaking at an event in New Delhi on Monday, Das emphasized the need for banks to adopt strong risk mitigation practices as they integrate AI into their operations.

Das highlighted that the financial sector’s growing reliance on AI could lead to concentration risks, particularly if a few technology providers dominate the market. “The heavy dependence on AI by financial institutions can amplify systemic risks. Failures or disruptions in these AI systems could ripple through the entire financial sector,” he cautioned.

In India, banks and financial service providers are increasingly using AI to enhance customer experience, reduce operational costs, manage risks, and boost growth through applications like chatbots and personalized banking services. However, this growing reliance on AI also introduces new vulnerabilities, including a heightened risk of cyberattacks and data breaches.

Das pointed out another key concern—the “opacity” of AI algorithms. The complexity and lack of transparency in AI systems make it difficult to audit or interpret the decision-making processes behind lending and other financial services. This could lead to unpredictable market outcomes, with potentially severe consequences.

In addition to AI-related risks, Das also raised concerns about the rapid expansion of private credit markets globally. These markets, he noted, are lightly regulated and have not undergone stress testing during a significant economic downturn. The unchecked growth of private credit could pose further risks to financial stability.

As the adoption of AI continues to reshape the financial landscape, Das urged banks and regulators to stay vigilant and ensure that adequate safeguards are in place to prevent systemic disruptions.

Study in polluted Taiwan shows regular exercise still prevents high blood pressure

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People who regularly exercise are at a lower risk of high blood pressure, even if they live in highly polluted areas, found a new research, since the risk-benefit relationship between air pollution and physical activity is a major concern as more than 91% of people worldwide live in areas where air quality fails to meet World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.

The paper published in the American Heart Association’s flagship journal Circulation, is based on a study of more than 140,000 adults without high blood pressure in Taiwan, who are followed for five years. Researchers classified the weekly physical activity levels of each adult as inactive, moderately active or highly active.

Researchers also classified level of exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) as low, moderate and high. PM2.5 is the most commonly used indicator of air pollution. High blood pressure was defined as 140/90 mm Hg, though the American Heart Association 2017 Guideline defines high blood pressure as 130/80 mm Hg.

Exercise helps despite high pollution 

Study author Xiang Qian Lao, an associate professor at the Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care at The Chinese University of Hong Kong in Shatin, said: “While we found that high physical activity combined with lower air pollution exposure was linked to lower risk of high blood pressure, physical activity continued to have a protective effect even when people were exposed to high pollution levels. The message is that physical activity, even in polluted air, is an important high blood pressure prevention strategy.”

Highlights of the study show that people who are highly active and exposed to low levels of pollution had a lower risk of developing high blood pressure, whereas those who were inactive and exposed to highly polluted air had a higher high blood pressure risk.

High risk levels

Each increase in PM2.5 level was associated with a 38% increase in risk of incident hypertension, whereas each increase in physical activity level lead to a 6% lower risk of hypertension, suggesting that reducing air pollution is more effective in preventing high BP.

Regardless of pollution level, people who exercised moderately had a 4% lower risk of high blood pressure than those who didn’t exercise. People who exercised at a high level had a 13% lower risk of high blood pressure than those who don’t.

The findings of this study are limited to air pollution because it only included people living in Taiwan, where ambient air was moderately polluted (the annual PM2.5 concentration was 2.6 times of the limit recommended by the World Health Organization).

‘Increased risk’ donor organs a tough sell to transplant patients

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Increasingly, transplant surgeons must initiate a tough conversation: explaining to patients what it means to accept an organ from a person who died from a drug overdose.

Organ donors who recently injected drugs, as well those who were incarcerated or had sex for drugs or money, are among a growing group of people classified as being at “increased risk” of an infectious disease such as hepatitis C or HIV.

But the label may not be doing patients any favors, according to a study about transplant trends and organ discard.

National organ transplant numbers show the United States Public Health Service’s increased risk of infection label (PHS-IR) is associated with hundreds of available organs going unused each year.

Despite the very low risk of disease transmission, patients in need are saying no to these organs, which account for 1 in every 5 deceased donor organs today.

Better guidance is needed for surgeons and patients on how much risk an increased-risk label actually presents to patients, says study author Daniel Kaul, M.D., director of the Transplant Infectious Disease Service at Michigan Medicine.

For a study published in Transplantation, Kaul led an analysis of Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) data showing organs labeled as increased risk are 7 percent less likely to be used than organs without the label.

“Overall utilization was less despite the extraordinarily low risk of disease transmission,” says Kaul, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan. “The organ may have gone to the next person on the transplant waiting list, but it might not have been used at all.”

Also troubling, utilization rates of PHS-IR organs varied dramatically by geography. Depending on the donation service area, transplantation of available adult kidneys from increased-risk donors ranged from 20 to 100 percent, the analysis found.

“What that tells us is there may be a different understanding of true risk associated with this label — from one center to another and even within a center, from one organ specialty to another,” Kaul says.

If the increased-risk label did not exist, an estimated 313 more transplants could be performed in the United States each year, according to the study.

All organs identified as increased risk were less likely to be used with the exception of livers, for which transplant rates were nearly identical.

A possible explanation? Patients with liver failure may be too sick to say no. By comparison, a patient needing a kidney may continue dialysis and wait for another organ offer.

Favorable Odds

For most patients with end-stage organ failure, the immediate risk of dying is greater than the risk of getting an organ with an infection.

After rigorous screening, the risk of HIV or hepatitis C transmission from organ donation is low, at less than 1 percent — much less, for example, than the lifetime chances of dying in a motor vehicle accident.

Co-authored by Michael Volk, M.D., a former U-M physician now practicing in Loma Linda, California, and others, the study was published in a special issue of Transplantation that looked at reducing organ discard while safely maximizing organ availability.

Researchers analyzed criteria of donors from 2010 to 2013. The rate of nonutilization of increased-risk organs, the authors write, is likely now even higher because of a 2015 change to the PHS-IR criteria. Combined with the opioid epidemic, the change resulted in an increase in the proportion of organs with this label from 12 percent to 20 percent.

With little guidance about magnitude of risk, the stigma surrounding drug addiction can lead someone to turn down an organ that could save his or her life.

As of early October, about 116,500 Americans are waiting for an organ transplant.

Walking Like Ants Reduces Risk for Spiders: Study

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Humans aren’t the only actors on the planet. To avoid being eaten, some jumping spiders pretend to be ants, according to Cornell University research published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Ants are aggressive at defending themselves: They are well-armed with bites, stings and formic acid. Ant-mimicking jumping spiders – Myrmarachne formicaria – in contrast, can’t do much more than run on their eight legs when attacked. Not surprisingly, insect predators tend to prefer spiders over ants, so appearing to be an ant confers significant protection.

Protective mimicry is a remarkable example of adaptive evolution: Moths can be colored like butterflies and grasshoppers may look like tiger beetles. While most mimicry studies focus on traits like color and shape, the researchers used multiple high-speed cameras and behavioral experiments to pinpoint how the spider’s movements mimic ants.

Ant-mimicking spiders walk using all eight legs but pause frequently to raise their forelegs to mimic ant antennae. When walking, they take winding trajectories of about five to 10 body lengths, which made them look like ants following pheromone trails. While the researchers could see what the spiders were doing thanks to high-speed cameras, many potential predators have slower visual systems, so that to them the mimics appear to be moving just like an ant would.

The researchers note that the findings “highlight the importance of dynamic behaviors and observer perception in mimicry.”