ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region on Wednesday laid the foundation stone for a cancer hospital in Erbil. It is considered to be the largest across Iraq.

The 250-bed hospital will be built on 19,000 square meters, with its completion expected in 2026.

“The incidence rate has increased and we will have to precisely work on reducing its impacts,” said Prime Minister Masrour Barzani after laying the hospital's cornerstone.

In parts of his speech, the Kurdish premier pointed out that his government cabinet has prioritized reforms in the health sector and said medical tourism in the Kurdistan Region is booming.

“The Kurdistan Regional Government is exerting maximum efforts to improve the health sector," the premier detailed. 

Cancer is below international standards in the Kurdistan Region and the incidence rate is at 0.15 percent, according to data from the KRG health ministry. 

According to the health ministry’s data, the Kurdistan Region saw 9,911 new cancer cases 2023, up from 2022’s 9,061. The Kurdish Region had recorded significantly lower numbers in the previous years with 7,904 in 2021, and 6,293 in 2020. 

The health ministry data show that breast and colon cancers are the most prevalent types of cases recorded in the Kurdistan Region

There are only two hospitals where cancer patients are treated in the Kurdistan Region including Nanakali in Erbil and Hiwa in Sulaimani.

Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide, as health establishments struggle to find treatments and develop better diagnostics.

Key factors contributing to the uptick in cases of cancer are globally identified as environmental pollution and lifestyle issues, with early diagnosis of the disease widely advised to prevent the condition from reaching critical stages.