Free bowel screening is now available to people from the age of 58 in the South Island, Northland and Auckland, with the Government saying the expansion will save more lives.
Health Minister Simeon Brown from Monday, the change would mean thousands more people would have access to testing.
“Earlier this year, I confirmed the Government’s commitment to lowering the bowel screening age to match Australia, so that fewer New Zealanders die from bowel cancer,” Brown said.
“The first step is lowering the eligibility age from 60 to 58. This means thousands more people will now have access to lifesaving testing, giving them the best chance of having bowel cancer detected early, when it can often be successfully treated.”
The new age threshold will see 122,000 people become eligible in the first year. Over the next 25 years, the change is expected to prevent 771 bowel cancers and save 566 lives.
The lower age will be introduced in the rest of the North Island in March 2026, with all newly eligible people nationwide invited for screening by March 2027.
Brown said the Government’s long-term aim was to bring the screening age down further but building colonoscopy capacity was essential to achieve that.
A new nationwide pathway called the FIT for Symptomatic test is also being introduced. The home test, which uses a stool sample to check for blood, has already been launched in Waikato and will be rolled out in Counties Manukau, Waitematā and Hawke’s Bay in the coming months before a national rollout next year.
Brown said the pathway would free up resources by prioritising colonoscopies for those at highest risk and reducing unnecessary referrals. It is expected to cut referrals by between 30 and 60 per cent.
“To further increase capacity, the Government has also announced a diagnostic uplift package that will deliver 7100 extra colonoscopies through to July 2026,” he said.
The Government has committed $19 million to boost participation among populations with low screening rates through targeted campaigns, online resources and easier return options for test kits.
“Bowel cancer is New Zealand’s second biggest cancer killer. By lowering the screening age, rolling out the FIT for Symptomatic pathway, expanding diagnostic capacity, and investing in targeted initiatives, we are taking action that will save hundreds of lives and prevent thousands of families from losing loved ones too soon,” Brown said.
Since the national screening programme began in 2017, more than 2.5 million test kits have been sent out, and nearly 3,000 cancers have been detected. At least 40 per cent of these were picked up at an early stage when treatment is most effective.
