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Health Minister Andrew Little has suggested that more money may be on the way for cancer treatment, following a very critical report on cancer treatment in New Zealand.
Little did not commit to a cancer care supplement, saying the report was only one day old, but suggested that there might be some money on the way and agreed that the report highlighted a historic underinvestment in cancer.
“I can’t say that,” Little said RNZ when asked if he would commit to an increase in funds.
Little said he couldn’t calculate how much money, if any, would turn into cancer.
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Ross Giblin
Andrew Little suggested that more money could be spent on cancer funding.
“I can not say that. This Government has allocated a significant amount of funds to health in general, health services and health treatment, “he said.
Little also said that Heather Simpson’s report last year on the broader healthcare system had indicated that more funding would be needed.
“As we move forward with health sector reforms, one of the report’s recommendations said that we would still need additional funds for the health system.”
The new report comes from te Te Aho or Te Kahu, the Cancer Control Agency, which was established by the current Government in 2019. On Tuesday, it published He Pūrongo Mate Pukupuku or Aotearoa 2020 – The State of Cancer in New Zealand 2020.
The report found that Maori were not only more likely to develop most forms of cancer, but were also more likely to die from those cancers than non-Maori.
New Zealand Cancer Society
Cancer Society Medical Director Chris Jackson says more help is still needed.
Maori are approximately 20% more likely to develop cancer than non-Maori and twice as likely to die from cancer
This disparity is seen in all “common” cancers and is particularly common in cancers of the breast, liver, lung, pancreas, and stomach.
Little admitted that, overall, cancer care available in New Zealand lagged behind that available in Australia.
“We are behind Australia, we know it, the report says that,” Little said.
Health advocates said the report showed the need for continued government support for cancer care, particularly since cancer treatment was suspended while the health system focused on the Covid-19 pandemic.
Cancer Society medical director Chris Jackson told RNZ more support was needed.
“Over the course of the last year, of course, everyone has properly focused on Covid and there was a huge investment freeze, but with government finances looking more favorable, we would very much like to see the government’s commitment to fund these. initiatives, Jackson said RNZ.
In the past 15 years, few agreed cancer funds have been “siphoned off.”
“The reason the Cancer Control Agency report is so welcome is that it is the balance we have long needed on the current state of cancer in New Zealand.”
