Media release: Urgent action needed: Aotearoa must accelerate efforts to eliminate cervical cancer

The Government needs to take action to set us on the path to eliminating cervical cancer and help create a future where almost no one in Aotearoa NZ dies from this now-preventable disease.

In the latest Briefing from the Public Health Communication Centre, Cancer Society of New Zealand  Medical Director Dr Kate Gregory and co-authors say we lag behind Australia and need a fully funded, equitable cervical cancer elimination strategy to get on track and save lives. 

Approximately 175 people in NZ are diagnosed annually with cervical cancer, with 55 deaths. The human papillomavirus virus (HPV) causes almost all cervical cancer cases, and the disease can be prevented through vaccination, screening, and treatment.

NZ has signed up to the World Health Organization’s cervical cancer elimination initiative however the Briefing points out that HPV vaccination rates in this country remain far below the WHO target of 90%, with significant inequities by ethnicity.

We also have inequitable access to cervical screening in NZ. 

“While the switch to HPV primary screening and option to self-test last year was a game-changer, barriers to screening still remain. Cervical screening is not fully funded in NZ, unlike other cancer screening programmes. The lack of guaranteed funding creates inequities in access,” says Dr Gregory.

She says Māori and Pacific populations face lower vaccination and screening rates. “A cervical cancer elimination strategy in NZ must prioritise equity and uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles. We won’t achieve elimination in this country until all groups achieve elimination and no one is left behind”

Dr Gregory says the Government needs to fully fund and implement an equitable cervical cancer elimination strategy, extend free cervical screening to all eligible individuals, and improve access to HPV vaccination in schools, pharmacies, and through health promotion campaigns.

“Australia is on track to be the first country to eliminate cervical cancer, supported by high vaccination and screening rates and a dedicated elimination strategy with government funding. NZ lacks a similar comprehensive strategy. But we have the tools, and the science is excellent. We just need investment and commitment.”

The Cancer Society and partners have launched campaigns to raise awareness and public support and encourage a stronger government commitment to eliminate cervical cancer.