The New Zealand Māori Council has welcomed the Government's Cancer Action Plan, calling it a "landmark beginning" in addressing the issue of cancer for all New Zealanders, particularly Māori.
The Cancer Action Plan will see an extra $60 million of funding given to Pharmac to speed up decision making and help pay for a range of new drugs, including three proposed new cancer medicines.
A new Cancer Control Agency will also be established in December to provide centralised coordination of treatment, from prevention and diagnosis to palliative care.
Māori Council executive director Matthew Tukaki says Māori men are at particular risk of bowel cancer, while Māori also suffer breast, prostate and cancers at a rate higher than non-Māori.
"The council has come out strong and hard when it comes to cancer and lifesaving and extending medications because the data related to our people was terrible," he said.
"But cancer impacts all New Zealanders, and, in all reality, we have a tough road ahead of us."
Mr Tukaki says the biggest challenge is the advancement in both medical technology and medication.
"It puts immense pressure on the nation's finances, but we must always find a way to give all Kiwis a fighting chance when it comes to life."
The additional $20 million funding for Pharmac this year and $40 million next year will go towards Lynparza for ovarian cancer, Faslodex for breast cancer, and Venclexta for chronic lymphatic leukaemia.
An online campaign called Act.Live launched today encourages Māori men to have prostrate and bowel cancer tests at a much earlier age.
The council will also be working on a campaign to advocate for more prevention and screening tools for the regions focused on both Maori men, women and their whānau.
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