New Zealand Cancer Control Strategy Online

Citation: Minister of Health. 2003.
The New Zealand Cancer Control Strategy.
Wellington: Ministry of Health and the New Zealand Cancer Control Trust.

Hutia te rito o te harakeke,
Kei hea te kömako e kö kï mai ki ahau?
He aha te mea nui o te ao?
Mäku e kï atu, he tängata, he tängata, he tängata.

If you remove the heart of the flax bush,
From where will the bellbird sing to me?
What is the most important thing in this world?
I say to you, it is people, people, people.

Foreword

Cancer is a leading cause of death in New Zealand (29 percent) and the number of people developing and dying from cancer is predicted to continue to increase steadily both in New Zealand and worldwide. We know that at least one-third of cancer can be prevented and early detection and effective treatment of a further third is also possible. Our ability to achieve what we know is possible depends to a great extent on our taking a more planned approach involving all activities and services related to cancer.

The World Health Organization advocates the development of national cancer control programmes as the best means of reducing the incidence and impact of cancer and improving the quality of life of those with cancer within available resources. This involves a comprehensive, planned approach that will identify and implement priorities for action from cancer prevention activities through treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care to research.

Reducing the incidence and impact of cancer is one of the Government’s 13 population health objectives identified in the New Zealand Health Strategy. Growing concern about cancer is also reflected in the public domain by the activities of the many cancer-related organisations.

Commitment of the non-government sector to this objective is reflected in the formation of the New Zealand Cancer Control Trust (funded by the Cancer Society of New Zealand and the Child Cancer Foundation) to facilitate and work in partnership with the Ministry of Health in developing this Strategy.

Cancer touches us all at some point in our lives, if not directly as a patient, then as the relative, friend or workmate of someone who develops cancer. The development of this Strategy reflects a shared commitment to reducing the incidence of cancer and improving the quality of life of those who develop cancer.

I would like to thank the many individuals who contributed to this Strategy, either by participating in working groups, providing comment and peer review or by participating in consultation through meetings, hui, fono and individual submission.

The next step is the implementation plan to turn this strategy into a reality. I look forward to working with you all.

Hon Annette King
Minister of Health

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Acknowledgements

The development of this strategy has involved valued input from a wide range of individuals, groups and organisations. The advice and assistance from the following are particularly acknowledged:

the Cancer Control Steering Group (for membership see Appendix 1)
the Expert Working Groups (for membership see Appendix 3)
the Australian National Cancer Control Initiative
the Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control
Professor Mike Richards, National Cancer Director for England
Professor Roy West, National Cancer Institute of Canada
Dr Neil Berman, Health Canada
Cancer Control Secretariat (for membership see Appendix 2).

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The Strategy in Summary

The New Zealand Cancer Control Strategy is the first phase in the development and implementation of a comprehensive and co-ordinated programme to control cancer in New Zealand. The strategy includes purposes, principles and goals to guide existing and future actions to control cancer. It also includes objectives and broad areas for action. The next phase will involve identifying priorities for action, planning implementation, and defining processes to manage, monitor and review implementation.

Overall purposes of the New Zealand Cancer Control Strategy

The overall purposes of the New Zealand Cancer Control Strategy are to:

reduce the incidence and impact of cancer
reduce inequalities with respect to cancer.

The principles of the New Zealand Cancer Control Strategy

All activities undertaken to meet these purposes should:

work within the framework of the Treaty of Waitangi to address issues for Maori
reduce health inequalities among different population groups
ensure timely and equitable access for all New Zealanders to a comprehensive range of health and disability services, regardless of ability to pay
be of high quality
be sustainable
use an evidence-based approach
reflect a person-centred approach
actively involve consumers and communities
recognise and respect cultural diversity
be undertaken within the context of a planned, co-ordinated and integrated approach.

The goals of the New Zealand Cancer Control Strategy

The goals of the New Zealand Cancer Control Strategy are to:

reduce the incidence of cancer through primary prevention
ensure effective screening and early detection to reduce cancer incidence and mortality
ensure effective diagnosis and treatment to reduce cancer morbidity and mortality
improve the quality of life for those with cancer, their family and whanau through support, rehabilitation and palliative care
improve the delivery of services across the continuum of cancer control through effective planning, co-ordination and integration of resources and activity, monitoring and evaluation
improve the effectiveness of cancer control in New Zealand through research and surveillance.

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Next - Introduction

Related Links

Cancer Control New Zealand

New Zealand Cancer Control Strategy

Towards a Cancer Control Strategy for New Zealand Marihi Tauporo : A discussion document

Expert Working Group background papers

New Zealand Cancer Control Trust background papers

Cancer in New Zealand: Trends and projections

http://www.moh.govt.nz/cancercontrol

http://www.cancercontrol.org.nz