Climate Change Linked to Rising Deadly Cancer Rates Among Women in Middle East and North Africa

A recent study has found that rising temperatures driven by global heating may be contributing to an increase in fatal cancers among women in some of the world’s hottest regions, particularly the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Inkl.com reported.

Researchers analyzed cancer trends across 17 countries in the region and discovered that as temperatures rose between 1998 and 2019, rates and severity of four major cancers affecting women—breast, ovarian, uterine, and cervical—also increased significantly.

The study revealed that each one-degree Celsius increase in temperature corresponded with statistically significant rises in both cancer prevalence and mortality. Breast and ovarian cancers showed particularly strong links to temperature increases, with ovarian cancer cases rising most sharply per degree of warming. Breast cancer remained the most common cancer in the region. Countries such as Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the UAE exhibited the strongest temperature-related increases. For example, in Qatar, breast cancer prevalence increased by 560 cases per 100,000 women for every degree rise in temperature.

Lead author Dr. Wafa Abuelkheir Mataria from the American University in Cairo emphasized that while the increases per degree may seem modest, their cumulative public health impact is substantial. Co-author Dr. Sungsoo Chun highlighted that women are particularly vulnerable due to physiological factors and structural inequalities limiting healthcare access, especially marginalized women who face greater exposure to environmental hazards and reduced access to early screening and treatment.

Though the study controlled for economic factors like GDP, researchers acknowledged that other elements such as pollution and healthcare system changes may also play a role. The findings add to mounting evidence that climate change is exacerbating health inequities and increasing disease burdens globally.

The authors call for enhanced cancer screening, climate-resilient health systems, and reduced exposure to environmental carcinogens to mitigate these emerging risks and protect vulnerable populations.