Number one killer needs Minister of Cancer
Media release
18 August 2011
Number one killer needs
Minister of Cancer
CANGO, a consortium of eight major cancer NGOS, is calling for a Minister of Cancer to be appointed by the incoming government to stop New Zealand’s number one killer, cancer.
Dalton Kelly, spokesman for
the CANGO alliance said: “Cancer is New Zealand’s
biggest killer directly affecting close to 30 % of New
Zealanders. Twenty-two people die of cancer every day, and a
new case is diagnosed every half hour. It’s a big election
issue, and the new government must take a stand and appoint
a Minister of Cancer.”
CANGO says that New Zealand
falls short on early cancer diagnosis, access to care, and
that cancer outcomes for Maori and Pacific Islanders are
extremely poor.
“One in three cancer deaths could be
avoided by tasking a Minister of Cancer to eliminate risk
factors like smoking, alcohol, inactivity and poor diet,
lead a broad and visionary cancer research strategy
including plugging gaps in the cancer workforce, accurately
recording and tracking cancer data and improving outcomes
for Maori and Pacific people.” said Mr Kelly.
CANGO
launched its election manifesto today in Wellington, urging
support from all political parties.
Mr Kelly said: “Cancer is such an important issue, affecting so many New Zealanders and we need to know that successive governments will put it first, whatever their politics.”
CANGO’s manifesto also calls for
fast-tracking of the bowel cancer screening programme, equal
access to cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis, and
treatment across the country, and improvements to the cancer
registry. It also calls for support for a national cancer
research strategy and improvements to how cancer services
share information electronically to ensure all systems
around the country are linked.
“These initiatives
mean more funding, but when you can prevent seven deaths
each day by targeting it strategically, they’re hard to
argue against because they save money in the long term.”
said Mr Kelly.
CANGO is an alliance of the eight most
prominent cancer organisations, which have been working
together for some time to identify the key issues affecting
New Zealanders. CANGO members are: The Cancer Society,
Leukaemia & Blood Foundation, Child Cancer Foundation, New
Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation, Prostate Cancer
Foundation, Beat Bowel Cancer Aotearoa, Gynaecological
Cancer Foundation, and Hospice New
Zealand.
ends