Coasties, the Government has announced significant changes to New Zealand’s bowel cancer screening programme, lowering the age of eligibility to 58 in a bid to save hundreds of lives.

Health Minister Simeon Brown unveiled the move today, stating that the reduction in the eligible age bracket will allow free bowel cancer screening for New Zealanders aged 58 to 74.

This change comes with redirected funding of $36 million over the next four years.

"By lowering the age from 60 to 58, an additional 122,000 Kiwis will be eligible for free screening in the first year alone," Brown said.

"This change will have a significant impact in preventing bowel cancer deaths, potentially saving hundreds of lives in the decades to come."

According to Brown, the move aligns New Zealand’s screening eligibility with Australia’s, marking a first step toward closing the gap in bowel cancer detection rates between the two countries.

The changes are expected to prevent an additional 771 bowel cancer cases and 566 cancer-related deaths over the next 25 years.

Health Ministry advice highlighted that extending eligibility to all New Zealanders aged 58 and over would be more effective than previous plans, which only aimed to lower the age for Māori and Pacific Peoples to 50.

Health Minister Simeon Brown.

Under this new approach, an additional 218 cancers and 176 deaths are projected to be prevented compared to the previous government's plan.

In addition to expanding the screening age, the Government is also committing to increased funding for targeted initiatives to improve screening rates in population groups with historically low participation.

This is part of a broader effort to tackle New Zealand’s alarmingly high bowel cancer rates.

New Zealand has one of the highest rates of bowel cancer globally, with over 3,300 new diagnoses each year.

Tragically, more than 1,200 Kiwis lose their lives to the disease annually.

The Government has committed to improving cancer detection and treatment, having already announced a $604 million investment over four years to provide greater access to life-saving cancer drugs.

The funding boost for bowel cancer screening is expected to be a major step forward in improving early detection and reducing cancer-related deaths across the country.

By expanding the eligibility for free screening, the Government hopes to offer Kiwis a better chance at detecting cancer earlier, leading to more effective treatment and ultimately saving more lives.

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