All women aged between 25 and 69 would be eligible to receive free cervical screening from March next year, the Government is promising.
It comes after Labour made the same pledge last year, offering free cervical screening from October 2027, as part of their policy of three free GP visits each year.
Health Minister Simeon Brown says it was first recommended in 2018, and he began working on an elimination plan when he became Minister of Health last year.
"Cervical cancer is a cancer we can eliminate," he said.
"We have the tools to be able to do that with its vaccination, screening and treatment and so today we're announcing a big next step in delivering that for New Zealanders."
Free screening is currently available for Māori and Pacific women aged 25-69, community service card holders, women who have never been screened or are overdue.
From March, cervical screening would be free for all women aged 25-69, either through a GP visit or self-test, recommended every five years.
Screening cost a barrier for some
Around 175 Kiwis are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year. (Source: 1News)
Cervical cancer survivor Jen Jewell was diagnosed in 2019, and says she only happened to get the test because she and her husband were trying for a child.
"I feel very, very lucky that I was, my life circumstances put me in a position where I caught it when it was able to be treated," she said.
"I was stage two, so I had a few rounds of chemotherapy, I had a couple of weeks of radiotherapy and six sessions of intensive brachytherapy and I was done.
"It took two and a half months for me to go from having cancer to eventually getting the confirmation that I was cancer free."
She said making the test free will hopefully mean it becomes more routine, and less scary.
Cancer Society chief executive Nicola Coom said the screening cost can be a barrier for some women.
"It can range anywhere between $35 to $100 at your GP. I recently had this self-test and it was $65 and I walked out of that appointment thinking, how do women throughout the country afford this?
"For some women, that's the choice between the children have school lunches for the week or I have a self-test for cervical cancer."
She said cervical cancer is one of the few cancers that can be eliminated, and the screening is a key element of that.
Nearly 800,000 additional women expected to benefit
With Labour also promising to deliver free cervical cancer screening next year, advocates are also welcoming the bipartisan support for the issue.
Brown said it's expected 786,000 additional women would benefit from free screening.
He said there would be an overall increase in cervical cancer cases, but a large percentage of people in this group are already taking the opportunity to be screened – but just having to pay for it.
Asked if the health system was equipped to manage additional cancer cases, Brown said a key part of today's announcement is also the elimination plan, which has been worked on alongside the sector.
"We have the tools whether that's vaccination, whether screening and treatment and if we meet the targets that are as part of the elimination plan we will be able to eliminate this cancer and that will actually reduce pressure on our health system overall."
Under the elimination plan, New Zealand is committed to reducing cervical cancer to fewer than four cases per 100,000 women a year across every population group by 2040.
It sets national targets by 2030, including 80% of women to be up to date with cervical screening, and 80% referred for a colposcopy to be seen within 30 days.
Minister for Women Nicola Grigg says by 2035, it also aims to have 90% of young people having had their first HPV vaccine by age 15. It is currently 69%.
"Today is a good day for women, but screening only saves lives if it's taken up," she said.
"So my message to every woman who is overdue is simple. Please don't delay colposcopy, talk to your healthcare provider today."
Labour responds
Labour says it welcomed the Government taking up its policy, which it said will remove a cost barrier and save lives, but added it shouldn't stop there.
"National should go further and take up Labour’s other health policies - give people three free GP visits a year, free maternity scans and free prescriptions," said Labour's health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall.
“Making healthcare more affordable ensures problems are caught early, whānau stay healthier, and hospitals are there when they matter most."
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