May 1, 2024
Associate Health Minister David Seymour’s announcement of an additional $1.774 billion to address Pharmac’s deficit over the next 4 years is a good first step to ensure Kiwis continue to have access to existing funded medicines.
Although this is Pharmac’s biggest budget ever, significantly more is needed; as incremental change will not address medicines currently sitting on the options for funding list, considered standard of care in other countries or New Zealand sitting at the bottom of the OCED for medicine access.
We remain hopeful that the additional investment in Pharmac’s budget is only the first step in the Minister Seymour’s commitment to the transformational change that New Zealanders need, to ensure access to life saving pharmaceuticals.
About CANGO:
CANGO (Cancer Non-Governmental Organisations) is an alliance of prominent New Zealand cancer charities including:
- Bowel Cancer New Zealand
- Breast Cancer Foundation NZ
- Cancer Society of New Zealand
- Gut Cancer Foundation
- Ovarian Cancer Foundation
- Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand
- Melanoma New Zealand
- Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand
- Unicorn Foundation of New Zealand
The group was formed in 2007 in an effort to increase collaboration among cancer charities.
Chief Executives of member organisations meet quarterly to discuss key issues facing the sector; to meet and share information with representatives from Te Aho o Te Kahu, the Ministry of Health and others working in cancer related areas; and to work together on specific initiatives that reflect the shared goal of all members to reduce the incidence and impact of cancer on New Zealand and New Zealanders.