Bowel cancer screening eligibility age lowered to 58

Thursday 6 March 2025 · 8 outlets · 7 reports · updated Thu 6 Mar 2025, 11:34am

In this story Christopher Luxon, Simeon Brown, Ministry of Health

Health Minister Simeon Brown announced the eligibility age for free bowel cancer screening will drop from 60 to 58. The move will make an additional 122,000 New Zealanders eligible in the first year. Funding for the initiative will be redirected from money previously set aside to lower eligibility ages for Māori and Pacific people.

How they headlined it

9:12am10:21am11:34am

1. The PressThu 6 Mar 2025, 9:12am

   Bowel screening programme lowered to 58 years for ‘all New Zealanders’ (opens in new tab)

   Also on The Post (opens in new tab), Waikato Times (opens in new tab)

2. NZ HeraldThu 6 Mar 2025, 9:47am

   Bowel cancer screening eligibility age to be lowered for everyone (opens in new tab)

3. RNZThu 6 Mar 2025, 9:50am

   Bowel cancer free screening age lowered to 58 (opens in new tab)

4. 1NewsThu 6 Mar 2025, 9:55am

   Bowel cancer screening age to be lowered to 58 (opens in new tab)

5. Otago Daily TimesThu 6 Mar 2025, 10:21am

   Govt to lower age for free bowel cancer screening (opens in new tab)

   • 'Institutionalised racism': Govt's bowel cancer move under fire (opens in new tab) Thu 6 Mar 2025, 10:21am
6. StuffThu 6 Mar 2025, 11:34am

   Bowel cancer screening age of eligibility lowered (opens in new tab)