Māori cervical cancer screening fully funded from September 2023

Hei Āhuru Mōwai Māori Cancer Leadership Aotearoa commends Manatū Hauora – the Ministry of Health's decision to commit $7.3 million to fully fund the new cervical screening programme and human papillomavirus (HPV) self-testing for wāhine Māori, Pasifika, community service card holders, and those who’ve never been screened or haven’t been tested in the past five years.

Currently cervical screening is the only screening programme in Aotearoa that is not fully funded. This new funding commitment over the coming year will save lives, removing barriers for wāhine Māori and tangata Māori who have a cervix by increasing access to cervical screening. 

The current programme is failing Māori with lower access to screening and poorer outcomes for those diagnosed with cervical cancer. 

"Access inequities and bias within our health system mean wāhine Māori are more than twice as likely to have their cancers diagnosed at a late stage compared to non-Māori women,” says Hei Āhuru Mōwai co-chair, Dr Nina Scott. 

“A recent study showed that wāhine Māori with cervical cancer are 1.4 times more likely than non-Māori women to die in five years due to a late diagnosis. 

"Cost is a major barrier to cervical cancer screening for wāhine Māori and others at higher risk of death from cervical cancer, and we're thrilled this barrier will finally be eliminated."  

The new cervical screening programme will test for HPV instead of cytology. HPV testing is a better test as it will prevent more cancers, and wāhine can do it themselves at home or onsite with support from a healthcare provider.

National Cervical Screening Programme Advisory and Action Group spokesperson Professor Bev Lawton says the test is less invasive, easy to do yourself, and has proven remarkably successful and highly acceptable for wāhine Māori during trials. 

"HPV self-testing will prevent more cancer and bring Aoteoroa closer to our goal of cervical cancer elimination.

“We can eliminate cervical cancer in this lifetime but need free, enduring HPV self-testing for all wāhine and an elimination strategy to get us there.”   

Fully funded screening for wāhine Māori and the new HPV self-testing will roll out from 12 September, 2023.  

"Hei Āhuru Mōwai calls for an implementation approach that is ‘with Māori, for Māori, to Māori, alongside legislation enacting Māori governance over the National Cervical Screening Programme," says Hei Āhuru Mōwai Tumuaki - CEO, Cindy Dargaville. 

"We believe all health policy and services including cancer control should be mana enhancing, mauri restoring, wairua protective, whānau centred and ora enabling.   

"We also support our partners in their call for an elimination strategy to be developed as the next immediate priority."