Read our submission to the Pae Ora Women's Health Strategy.

New Zealand's first ever Women's Health Strategy

For the first time ever, New Zealand will soon have a Women’s Health Strategy. Right now, there's no mention of breast cancer in the official focus of the strategy, despite it being the leading cause of death for NZ women under the age of 65.

When the Ministry of Health asked the public to share their views on what should be included in the strategy, Breast Cancer Foundation NZ invited people to make a submission to ensure breast cancer isn't left out.

We made a submission too, sharing our vision that one day there will be zero deaths from breast cancer. You can read our submission here.

The Ministry of Health’s deadline for submissions closed on 17 March, and it is expected the strategy will be available by July.

Why is this important?

New Zealand’s first ever Women’s Health Strategy will be part of Pae Ora (Healthy Futures Act) 2022 – the legislation for the country’s new public health system.

As well as being the leading cause of death for those under 65, breast cancer is also the most common cancer for Kiwi women. If it is left out of the strategy, there's every chance it won't get the proper funding it needs.

Nearly 400 submissions made

We know of at least 391 people who made a submission to the Ministry of Health, sharing their stories and experiences to ensure breast cancer won’t be ignored.

Our submission highlighted the current challenges facing women with breast cancer and their whānau, as well as health professionals and the health system as a whole.

We listed our top priorities, which include extending the national breast screening age from 69 to 74 (something we have been advocating for since 2016), and ensuring the health system is resourced adequately to reduce treatment delays and allow access to care no matter where in the country you live.

Read Breast Cancer Foundation NZ's submission

Facts about breast cancer in New Zealand

Diagnosis & screening

Breast cancer is the most common cancer for Kiwi women.
More than 3,500 women across the country are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. That’s nine women a day. One of them will be Māori and one of them will be under 45.
Every year, more than 650 Kiwi women die of breast cancer. It’s the leading cause of death for NZ women under the age of 65.
Breast cancer in younger women is less common, but they do tend to have larger and more aggressive tumours.
Māori and Pasifika women are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than other ethnicities. They are also diagnosed younger, and have poorer survival rates.
Early detection of breast cancer offers the greatest survival chances. When tumours are small and haven’t spread, they are easier to treat.
Mammograms are the one of the best tools to detect breast cancer early, but they are only free for women aged 45 to 69.
A woman’s risk of developing breast cancer is higher at 70 than at 50.
Covid-19 lockdowns created a screening backlog, meaning many women are overdue their mammograms.
Women who find a breast lump sometimes have to wait months to be assessed at a breast clinic.
Pressures on the health system mean more women are waiting longer to see breast specialists and to get diagnosed. There's a shortage of radiologists, surgeons and specialist breast nurses.

Treatment

Delays to surgery are getting worse – fewer patients are getting their surgery within 31 days.
Shortages of healthcare staff and equipment are creating huge delays for radiation treatment.
There are no targeted drugs Pharmac-funded for women with the aggressive triple-negative form of breast cancer (TNBC).
Many drugs that are deemed to be best practice internationally aren’t funded in NZ.
As more women survive breast cancer, some will need support for long-term or late side effects that cause ongoing health issues.

To read more about how well NZ is tackling breast cancer, see our report - 30,000 voices: Informing a better future for breast cancer in Aotearoa New Zealand

Want to stay in the loop about this?

If you’d like to be kept informed about our work on this, including receiving a copy of Breast Cancer Foundation NZ's submission, please leave us your details: