Cancer Screening and Prevention in MENA and Mediterranean Populations: A Multi-Level Analysis of Barriers, Knowledge Gaps, and Interventions Across Indigenous and Diaspora Communities.

ABSTRACT: Cancer is one of the biggest health burdens for women in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), with the incidence of breast, cervical and colorectal cancer on the rise. Although preventive measures such as the HPV vaccination and population-based screening are available, access to them remains very unequal. Women in rural, low-income and refugee communities face additional barriers, cultural stigmatisation, low health literacy, gender norms and fragile health systems, leading to delayed diagnoses and poorer outcomes. This review summarises the results of 724 peer-reviewed publications to assess the current situation of cancer screening in MENA and Mediterranean countries. The studies were classified into four dimensions: cancer type (breast, cervical, colorectal), behavioural constructs

SUBMITTER: Gozum S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12839870 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature