1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,840 Speaker 1: Everyone can get free bowel cancer screening two years earlier. 2 00:00:03,960 --> 00:00:06,920 Speaker 1: The age has been progressively loud from sixty down to 3 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:11,280 Speaker 1: fifty eight. But the money is coming from free screening 4 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:14,720 Speaker 1: that's been set aside exclusively for Marty and Pacifica. They 5 00:00:14,760 --> 00:00:17,120 Speaker 1: can be screened for free from the age of fifty. 6 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: Simon Brown is the Health minister. Minister, good evening, Good evening. 7 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 1: So you've said you're going to save one hundred and 8 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:26,079 Speaker 1: seventy eight extra lives over twenty five years because of 9 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:27,120 Speaker 1: this change. Is that right? 10 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 2: That is correct? By lowering the age for all New 11 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:32,840 Speaker 2: Zealanders down to the age of fifty eight, that will 12 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:35,599 Speaker 2: make a bigger difference and save more lives than just 13 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:40,479 Speaker 2: lowering it to fifty for Marty and Pacifica communities. And 14 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:42,720 Speaker 2: this is the evidence provided by the Ministry of Health. 15 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:45,800 Speaker 2: We've relied on that and we're making this decision to save. 16 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:48,560 Speaker 1: More lives fair enough, So how many Marty and Pacifica 17 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 1: lives that we're going to be saved won't be Have 18 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 1: you figured that out? 19 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 2: Well? The evidence was that if we lowered it to 20 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 2: fifty for only Marty and Pacifica communities, we would be 21 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 2: three hundred nine additional deaths prevented over twenty five years. 22 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:07,480 Speaker 2: This changing means that we'll save five hundred and sixty 23 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 2: six lives over twenty five years. And this is about 24 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:15,399 Speaker 2: following the evidence and ensuring that we have a policy 25 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 2: which is based on ensuring that healthcare is based on need. 26 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:23,480 Speaker 2: That's part of our government's policies and that's what we're 27 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:25,119 Speaker 2: doing in this area. 28 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 1: Is there a Malori and Pacific people more predisposed to 29 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 1: bowel cancer. 30 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:33,120 Speaker 2: No, The advice is that bow cancer risk is similar 31 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:37,039 Speaker 2: across all population groups at the same age, So that 32 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:40,400 Speaker 2: that's the evidence that we've represented by the Ministry of Health. 33 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:44,160 Speaker 1: So why was this program in place for Maori and PACIFICA. 34 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 1: I mean, they're obviously behind when it comes to stats 35 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: on death from vow cancer. 36 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:52,920 Speaker 2: Well, I think the key thing, one of the key 37 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 2: things here is actually it's not just about the age, 38 00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 2: but it's also about making sure we're encouraging more testing 39 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:01,320 Speaker 2: in those population groups. So part of what we're doing today, Yes, 40 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 2: we're lowering it to fifty eight for all New Zealanders 41 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 2: with an intention to go further as cholonoscopy testing allows for. 42 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 2: But we're also going to be doing a lot of 43 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 2: work with Health New Zealand to focus on increasing the 44 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 2: rates of testing amongst those Marian PACIFICA communities. So we 45 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 2: are going to focus resource into increasing the testing amongst 46 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 2: those communities. So it's about taking a balanced approach. Yes, 47 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:24,960 Speaker 2: lowering the age for everyone, but actually focusing on getting 48 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 2: the testing rates up so that they're the same as 49 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 2: European communities for PACIFICA and America communities. And it's also 50 00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:33,640 Speaker 2: going to make a big difference. 51 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:36,919 Speaker 1: What about the age generally for everybody that you promised 52 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:39,120 Speaker 1: during the election campaign, we get to forty five, we're 53 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:40,919 Speaker 1: still at fifty eight. When's that going to happen. 54 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:44,720 Speaker 2: Well, we said would match Australia. That's what we're going 55 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:49,080 Speaker 2: to do. Key, right, they've just reduced it to forty 56 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:52,840 Speaker 2: five from fifty. The key restraint is the is access 57 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 2: to colonoscopies in our health system and so as we 58 00:02:56,240 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 2: increase the capacity in our hospitals for colonoscopy, that will 59 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 2: allow us to be able to lower the age progressively. 60 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:06,120 Speaker 2: While we've committed to doing that at the stage, this 61 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 2: is what we can achieve. As we increase that capacity, 62 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 2: we will go further. 63 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:11,480 Speaker 1: Do you not have a date for. 64 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 2: We don't have it. We don't have a date at 65 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:17,520 Speaker 2: this stage, but ultimately Health New Zealand, you know, one 66 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:19,120 Speaker 2: of the key things is making sure they can increase 67 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:21,280 Speaker 2: the number of colonoscopies across the country that can be 68 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:24,480 Speaker 2: done and as that, as that happens, we'll look to 69 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 2: lower this age as quickly as we can. 70 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 1: Thanks to your time, minister, really appreciate it. Simmy and 71 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 1: Brown the Health Minister. 72 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:33,400 Speaker 2: For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to 73 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 2: news Talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow 74 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.