Acre and Haifa top Israeli cancer list

People living in Acre and Haifa have a higher risk of developing cancer than the rest of the population of Israel, Israeli news website Yedioth Ahronoth revealed.

According to data from the Israeli Ministry of Health, men and women in Acre are more likely to develop cancer than people living in other areas of Israel. The percentage of those affected by the disease in Acre was 16 per cent, while in Haifa the number of those infected by the disease was 15 per cent.

The data was collated following a study of the disease between 2006 and 2011, but did not given reasons why these areas where most affected. It is believed that the atmosphere of the two cities contribute to raising the number of people living with cancer.

The Ministry of Health believes this is especially true of the residents of the city of Haifa who live in the presence of many factories, especially ammonia factories. It called for the factories to be closed and moved away from the city. A decision had already been made to transfer the plants to the south in the Negev; however this plan awaits implementation following the construction of the new factory.