Written By: Faith Jemosop
A new study has revealed that climate change is directly contributing to rising cancer rates among women in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), with extreme heat and pollution emerging as major culprits. Breast, ovarian, uterine, and cervical cancers are climbing at alarming rates and the warmer it gets, the worse it gets.
Researchers found that for every 1°C increase in temperature, there are up to 280 more cancer cases and 332 additional deaths per 100,000 women in the region. Ovarian cancer, in particular, shows the strongest correlation with rising heat levels.
As climate change intensifies, the health crisis it brings is no longer just about heat waves or water scarcity, it’s now tied to long-term, deadly diseases like cancer. And women in the MENA region are especially vulnerable.
Rising Heat and Rising Cancer
The peer-reviewed study published in Frontiers in Public Health analysed cancer and climate data across 17 MENA countries between 1998 and 2019. Countries most affected include Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Syria, which experienced the sharpest rises in female cancer rates in direct correlation with temperature increases.
The study reveals a sobering trend: for each incremental rise in temperature, hundreds more women are being diagnosed and dying from cancers, many of which are preventable or treatable with early detection.
But why is this happening? How exactly does climate change translate into a higher risk of cancer, especially among women?
How Climate Change Fuels Female Cancers
Climate change acts on multiple fronts to elevate cancer risks. From biological stress to toxic exposure, here’s how the climate crisis is worsening women’s health outcomes in MENA:
1. Heat Stress Damages Cells
Excessive and prolonged exposure to high temperatures can trigger oxidative stress in the human body. This leads to DNA damage and cellular disruption, key mechanisms behind cancer development. The body’s ability to repair itself is compromised under heat stress, especially in areas with limited access to cooling or hydration.
2. Polluted Air Becomes More Toxic
Hotter temperatures exacerbate air pollution, especially levels of PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) and ground-level ozone. These pollutants:
- Penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream.
- Are proven carcinogens, linked to lung, breast, and reproductive cancers.
- Become more concentrated and chemically reactive in hotter conditions.
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Industrial zones and urban centres in MENA often exceed safe air quality limits and heat amplifies this danger.
3. Higher UV Radiation Exposure
As the climate warms, ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure intensifies. While UV is commonly associated with skin cancer, it also contributes to:
- Immune suppression
- Hormonal imbalance
- Indirect increases in breast and ovarian cancer risk
Women working outdoors, or without access to protective clothing or sunscreen, are disproportionately affected.
4. Contaminated Water Supplies
Climate change leads to droughts and water scarcity, pushing communities to rely on unsafe water sources. Contaminated water often contains:
- Heavy metals like arsenic
- Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs)
Both types of contaminants are associated with reproductive system cancers such as ovarian and uterine cancer.
5. Hormonal Disruption
Women’s bodies are more sensitive to hormonal changes, and climate change introduces a flood of endocrine disruptors into the environment:
- POPs (persistent organic pollutants) and EDCs mimic oestrogen.
- These compounds are released more easily in heat.
- Result: Increased risk of hormone-sensitive cancers like breast and uterine cancer.
6. Collapsing Healthcare Infrastructure
In conflict-affected or economically strained MENA countries, climate stress is breaking already fragile healthcare systems, Delayed diagnoses and treatment, Fewer cancer screenings, Barriers to access due to gender discrimination.
Countries like Syria, Yemen, and parts of Iraq face systemic healthcare breakdowns, with women suffering disproportionately due to cultural restrictions and poverty.
Why Are Women in MENA More Vulnerable?
While climate change affects everyone, MENA women face unique vulnerabilities due to:
- Legal and cultural barriers to healthcare access.
- Economic dependency, which limits mobility and choice.
- Increased caregiving responsibilities, leading to delayed medical attention.
- Socio-political instability, which affects women’s health rights more severely during crises.
In many cases, women in the region are not prioritized for cancer screening, and they may be discouraged from seeking treatment without male approval or financial means.
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Urban pollution, oil industry emissions, desert heat waves, and limited women’s health services combine to create a perfect storm for cancer risk in these areas.
Addressing climate-related cancer risks requires urgent, targeted interventions:
1. Integrate Climate into Health Policy
National cancer control programs must consider environmental risks, especially those exacerbated by climate change. Governments must plan for: Heat-related health campaigns, Air pollution control, Water quality monitoring.
2. Improve Women’s Access to Healthcare
Remove legal and financial barriers, Increase mobile clinics and rural outreach, Promote women-led health education.
3. Monitor and Regulate Pollutants
Implement stricter regulations on industrial emissions, Track endocrine disruptors in consumer and food products, Build regional climate-health monitoring systems.
4. Promote Urban Resilience
Design cities that reduce heat exposure (e.g., green roofs, tree planting),Improve public transport to reduce car emissions and Support cooling centres and safe water access during heatwaves.
