Kurdistan region sees cancer diagnoses rise, though below global average

Shafaq News/ The Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRG) witnessed a surge in cancer cases with 9,911 cases diagnosed in 2023, the health ministry said.

While this represents an upward trend, the overall incidence rate of 151 per 100,000 remains below the global average of 191, according to the report.

Erbil, the KRG's capital, bore the brunt of the diagnoses with 5,456 cases, with females accounting for 56% of them. Sulaymaniyah followed with 3,275 cases, where 52% were female patients. Duhok recorded 1,180 cases, with a concerning figure of 69 children diagnosed with cancer in 2023.

According to the report, over 1,000 patients from outside the Kurdistan sought cancer treatment in the semi-autonomous region's healthcare facilities, potentially due to gaps in healthcare access in their home cities.

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