In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), support is provided for individuals who decide to donate organs or wish to do so, as donation saves lives and helps patients in need of vital treatment. This support is regulated by Ministerial Decision No. 91 of 2026.
The scope of support covers living donors, individuals who have expressed a wish to donate after death, as well as relatives of deceased donors.
Living donors can expect medical and insurance coverage for all procedures, examinations, and tests related to donation. This includes hospitalization, accommodation, and all necessary medical services within the transplantation process.
The support is not limited to the operation; donors also have the right to continuous medical monitoring to track their health and recovery. Furthermore, the system provides accommodation near the hospital for donors or accompanying patients, and may cover travel and transportation costs associated with the donation process.
During the recovery period, the donor may receive assistance, including support related to time off work, and home care services can be provided if necessary.
Families of deceased donors receive psychological and social support. They may also receive official recognition for their family member's contribution in the form of certificates, medals, and letters of appreciation. Additionally, the humanitarian stories of donors can be documented as part of efforts to recognize their merits.
The decision prioritizes eligible donors and certain relatives if they subsequently require an organ or tissue transplant. However, this does not guarantee automatic organ allocation; priority is determined by health status and assessment by the National Center for Regulation of Organ and Human Tissue Donation and relevant health authorities.
Groups eligible for support include living donors and their relatives up to the fourth degree of kinship, as well as individuals who have expressed a wish to donate or left a donation will, along with certain relatives. The framework also extends to relatives of deceased donors.
Before donation, living donors undergo a series of medical checks, which include a review of medical history, assessment of physical and mental condition, blood tests, compatibility testing, and medical imaging. They also undergo consultations and preparation before the procedure. Post-operation care may include medication, nutritional support, psychological help, and continuous monitoring.
The Ministry of Health and Prevention stated that this system aims to protect donors and recognize the role they and their families play in saving lives. These measures are also intended to integrate donor care throughout the entire transplantation process—from initial medical evaluation to long-term follow-up.
Laboratory sequencing confirmed the presence of pillchard herpesvirus (PHV) genetic material in sardines collected following recent mass die-off events along the West Coast of South Africa.
Potential triggers include harmful algae, low oxygen levels, and unusual oceanographic conditions. However, the department emphasized that this remains a hypothesis requiring further evidence.
Tests conducted on sardines collected near Saldanha Bay, Cape Gannet, and Gansbaai did not detect the paralytic toxin associated with harmful algal blooms in Saldanha Bay. Low levels of two other algal toxins—domoic acid and yessotoxin—were found. The highest concentrations of these toxins were recorded in a control sample taken from a seemingly healthy fish in St Helena Bay. No other tested toxins were detected.
The department concluded that the tested toxins were likely not the primary cause of the sardine deaths. Nevertheless, it cannot be entirely ruled out that harmful algae or other environmental conditions acted as additional stressors on the fish.
DFFE convened an urgent meeting with stakeholders from the small pelagic fishing industry. Furthermore, a task force comprising representatives from the department, the fishing industry, and other relevant parties will be established to develop a coordinated action plan regarding PHV-related sardine mortality in South African waters.
Epidemiological surveillance is currently being expanded along the West, South, and East coasts, while pathology and environmental studies continue. A planned hydroacoustic biomass survey in October and November will provide the first opportunity to assess the potential impact of this die-off event on sardine populations.
Previously, PHV had not been registered in South African sardines. This virus was linked to two large-scale sardine die-offs in Australasia in the 1990s, but later it was found in seemingly healthy Australian sardine populations without causing sustained mortality.
The virus is associated with sardines also known as pillchards. Currently, there is no evidence that PHV infects humans or other animals. The department clarified that the detection of PHV alone does not mean that commercially caught healthy sardines or canned sardines are unsafe, nor does it justify an immediate, blanket suspension of fishing or canning. Biotoxin results are considered encouraging, although they do not provide a complete clearance for all commercial catches. Therefore, monitoring and standard food safety controls must continue.
The public was advised not to collect or consume dead or dying fish, nor to feed them to pets. The department promised to provide further information as new results become available.
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday that more than 10,000 attacks on medical facilities have been registered since 2018, yet none of those responsible have been brought to justice.
These attacks, recorded in 29 countries and territories, have resulted in the deaths of approximately 5,700 people and injuries to 8,500 citizens, according to the WHO.
Altaf Musani, Director of the WHO's Department of Humanitarian Response and Disaster Management, presented this data at a press conference in Geneva and noted that accountability is possible not only at the national level.
He emphasized that medical facilities and health systems as a whole are protected by international humanitarian law and human rights, including certain Geneva Conventions. Nevertheless, Musani stated that 'none of the more than 10,000 confirmed incidents I mentioned have entered the accountability system.'
In the current year alone, the UN health agency has recorded 914 attacks, leading to 911 deaths and 1,486 injuries. Musani also reported that most incidents in 2026 involve Ukraine, Lebanon, and the Palestinian territories.
Finnish and Polish researchers have completed a cross-sectional observational study that demonstrated a link between regular coffee consumption and a reduction in human body fat volume.
According to the study's results, coffee consumption is associated not only with a decrease in total and visceral fat but also with positive changes in several metabolic indicators. Furthermore, the influence of coffee on sex-specific changes in hormone profiles was noted.
This scientific work was officially published in the European Journal of Nutrition.
