The programme needs to ramp up urgently to give bowel cancer patients a "fighting chance", Bowel Cancer New Zealand says. (File image) Photo: 123rf
The rollout of a national bowel cancer screening programme appears to have stalled - much to the concern of a support charity.
Two years ago, the Labour government announced $36 million of funding to bring the starting age for bowel screening for Māori and Pasifika people down to 50, from the previous starting age of 60.
The programme was to be trialled in selected regions in the latter half of 2022 with a more extensive rollout from July 2023.
But more than 18 months later, just three regional health authorities - Te Whatu Ora Waikato, Te Whatu Ora Tairāwhiti, and Te Whatu Ora Midcentral - are the only regional health authorities inviting Māori and Pasifika to be screened from the age of 50.
Bowel Cancer New Zealand medical adviser Professor Sue Crengle said that was concerning, as a higher proportion of Māori developed bowel cancer before they reached 60 (21 percent of cases) than non-Māori (10 percent of cases).
The figures were similar for Pacific peoples, she said.
"Bowel Cancer New Zealand wants to know whether Te Whatu Ora plans to complete this rollout urgently or whether it was just a token effort in three regions.
"Action is needed as far too many Māori and Pasifika are dying that could have a fighting chance if they were screened from 50.
"A clear timeline and accountability is needed from Health New Zealand to prevent this health inequity from continuing."
Crengle said it was "pleasing" to learn the National Bowel Screening Programme had distributed more than two million home-screening kits across Aotearoa, picking up 2495 cancers.
Health Minister Shane Reti told RNZ in a statement that the $36 million to lower the bowel screening age for Māori and Pacific peoples "was allocated by the previous government through Budget 2022".
The policy was still being evaluated, he added.
"This government remains committed to lowering the bowel screening age for all New Zealanders, as we indicated during the campaign. I expect to see advice in the coming months as to how this could be achieved."
Te Whatu Ora's director of prevention Alana Ewe-Snow said the national rollout of the bowel screening age extension for all districts required ministerial approval.
"This did not gain ministerial approval before the 2023 election. The tentative project timeline that was shared regarding the rollout is now outdated."
Health New Zealand was working with partner agencies to provide advice in the coming months on the age extension for the bowel screening programme across the country, she said.
But Crengle said the evidence was already clear.
"If bowel cancer screening for Māori started from 50, more whānau would be prevented from having to go through the distress associated with an advanced diagnosis."