Global warming is making cancer more common and more deadly for women in the Middle East and North Africa, scientists have warned.
Researchers said the rising number of cancer cases found in a study of 17 Mena region countries is small but statistically significant, suggesting a notable increase in risk and deaths over time.
“As temperatures rise, cancer mortality among women also rises – particularly for ovarian and breast cancers,” said Dr Wafa Abuelkheir Mataria, of the American University in Cairo, who co-authored the report in Frontiers in Public Health. “Although the increases per degree of temperature rise are modest, their cumulative public health impact is substantial.”
The researchers studied 17 Middle Eastern and North African countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Palestine.
These countries are already experiencing striking temperature rises. It has been another record-breaking month in the UAE, with the National Centre of Meteorology recording temperatures of more than 50°C. April was the hottest month on record.
Previous research has indicated that the Gulf is heating up especially quickly. Campaign group Greenpeace Mena has been raising awareness of the issue, pointing out that the temperature in Kuwait was nearly 50°C throughout last week; that Morocco issued an official heatwave alert for several provinces; and that Iraq and Egypt were also grappling with intense heat.
Scientists say higher temperatures in the region are compromising food and water security, causing poor air quality, disrupting infrastructure and affecting healthcare systems.
They say this can also mean greater exposure to cancer risk factors, such as environmental toxins, and lower the likelihood of receiving a prompt diagnosis and treatment.
However, the scientists said that while a combination of factors could lead to a major rise in the incidence of serious cancers, quantifying it was difficult.
The researchers collected data on the prevalence and mortality of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer and uterine cancer, and compared the information with changing temperatures between 1998 and 2019.
“Women are physiologically more vulnerable to climate-related health risks, particularly during pregnancy,” said co-author Dr Sungsoo Chun of the American University in Cairo.
“This is compounded by inequalities that limit access to healthcare. Marginalised women face a multiplied risk because they are more exposed to environmental hazards and less able to access early screening and treatment services.”
Running the numbers
The study found that the prevalence of the different cancers rose by 173 to 280 cases per 100,000 people for every rise in temperature by one degree Celsius. Ovarian cancer cases rose the most and breast cancer cases the least. Mortality rose by 171 to 332 deaths per 100,000 people for each degree of temperature rise, with the greatest rise in ovarian cancer and the smallest in cervical cancer.
The rise has not been uniform. The prevalence of breast cancer rose by 560 cases per 100,000 people for rise by one each degree Celsius in Qatar, but only 330 in Bahrain.
Researchers said extreme summer temperatures in some countries may have a greater impact, as could other factors which the model could not capture, such as higher levels of carcinogenic air pollution in some places.
“Temperature rise probably acts through multiple pathways,” said Dr Chun. “It increases exposure to known carcinogens, disrupts healthcare delivery, and may even influence biological processes at the cellular level. Together, these mechanisms could elevate cancer risk over time.
“Strengthening cancer screening programmes, building climate-resilient health systems and reducing exposure to environmental carcinogens are key steps.
“Without addressing these underlying vulnerabilities, the cancer burden linked to climate change will continue to grow.”
More on Turkey's Syria offence
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
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Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
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Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces
- Area carpets or rugs are the easiest way to segregate spaces while also unifying them.
- Lighting can help define areas. Try pendant lighting over dining tables, and side and floor lamps in living areas.
- Keep the colour palette the same in a room, but combine different tones and textures in different zone. A common accent colour dotted throughout the space brings it together.
- Don’t be afraid to use furniture to break up the space. For example, if you have a sofa placed in the middle of the room, a console unit behind it will give good punctuation.
- Use a considered collection of prints and artworks that work together to form a cohesive journey.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:
1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition
The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
