December 13, 2024
Bowel Cancer New Zealand (NZ) is concerned by the sudden decision to end bowel cancer screening for 50 to 60-year-old Māori and Pasifika communities in the Waikato, Tairāwhiti, and MidCentral regions. The move raises serious questions for New Zealanders about the government’s delivery on reducing bowel cancer-related deaths.
The government’s apparent decision to cancel this critical screening programme is in stark contrast to Prime Minister Luxon’s pre-election commitment to lower the national bowel screening age to 45, in line with Australia’s screening policy. This change puts lives at risk and is hard to reconcile with the government’s repeated emphasis on the need for earlier, more equitable access to screening.
Peter Huskinson, Bowel Cancer NZ Chief Executive, says,
“It is hard to fathom how a programme that has been fully funded for the entire country since 2022 and is proven to save lives would be abruptly cancelled – especially without a formal statement in the House. This decision is even more puzzling considering the government’s own estimates, which state that this screening programme, once nationwide, is expected to save 44 lives each year.
“Dr Reti and Christopher Luxon have both previously expressed a clear commitment to addressing bowel cancer screening inequities, so it is hard to understand why they would allow such a reversal. This decision, if confirmed, will mean unnecessary suffering and deaths for our Māori and Pacific communities. Deaths that could have been prevented with proper screening at the right age.”
In response to this decision, Bowel Cancer NZ is calling for immediate clarification and urges the government to explain who made the decision and the rationale behind it. New Zealanders deserve to know why such a vital screening programme has been put on hold.
Huskinson says, “We want to see a moratorium on the withdrawal of this programme until the government provides full clarity on its position. Families deserve to know they are not facing higher risks from undetected cancer during this critical period of uncertainty.”
Bowel Cancer NZ medical advisor Professor Sue Crengle says,
“More Māori and Pasifika bowel cancer is diagnosed before age 60 years. As a result, these groups had less opportunity to benefit from bowel cancer screening than other ethnic groups. Starting screening for Māori and Pasifika people at age 50 years meant that the benefit from the programme was equal across all ethnic groups. It would be incredibly disappointing if this has been stopped.”