Cancer Society New Zealand today welcomed the Government’s decision to match its $1 million investment in skin cancer prevention, creating a $2 million joint programme that will deliver an expanded national programme to reduce skin cancer across New Zealand.
The Cancer Society committed $1 million and asked Health Minister Simeon Brown to match its investment. Today’s (30 April) announcement confirms the Government has acknowledged skin cancer is a critical issue for New Zealander and the role prevention can play.
Together, the investment will fund a nationwide skin cancer prevention programme reaching schools, workplaces, and communities, with a particular focus on children and families, young adults, and outdoor workers – the groups most at risk.
“New Zealand has one of the highest skins cancer rates in the world, and that is not inevitable. More than 90 per cent of skin cancers are preventable. We have been calling for a sustained national investment in prevention for years, and we decided it was time to walk the talk and challenge the Government to work alongside us,” said Cancer Society New Zealand Chief Executive Nicola Coom.
Around 2,800 invasive melanomas are diagnosed in New Zealand each year, and an estimated 90,000 non-melanoma skin cancers are treated. Approximately 500 New Zealanders die from skin cancer every year. Despite high public awareness of sunburn risk, nearly two-thirds of New Zealanders reported at least one sunburn last summer, with young adults most affected.
New Zealand has had no sustained national investment in skin cancer prevention for more than a decade. Australia, by comparison, invests roughly five times more per person. The joint investment announced today marks a significant reset.
“We are genuinely pleased to be partnering with the Government on this. Minister Brown’s willingness to step up and match our investment is exactly the kind of decisive action that saves lives. This is what it looks like when government and the health sector work together in the interests of New Zealanders,” Ms Coom said.
What the joint programme will deliver:
- A nationwide campaign promoting sun-safe behaviours
- Updated digital and online content
- Practical resources and support for schools and communities
- Exploration of a dedicated programme for outdoor workers, including prevention and early detection support
“Skin cancer is the most common cancer we diagnose, and it places one of the biggest financial burdens on our health system. A $2 million investment today could save hundreds of millions in treatment costs over the next 25 years. This is smart, evidence-based prevention and it is long overdue,” Ms Coom said.
The Cancer Society’s 2026 Election Manifesto, launched at Parliament today, calls on all political parties to commit to five evidence-based actions to reduce New Zealand’s cancer burden. Skin cancer prevention sits alongside calls to fully fund cervical screening, fund a lung cancer screening programme, lower the bowel screening age to 50, and protect children from the commercial drivers of cancer.
“This joint investment is a proof of concept. When the Cancer Society and the Government act together with purpose, we get results. We are calling on the next Government to go further – because the evidence is clear, the tools exist, and New Zealanders deserve better than the status quo,” Ms Coom said.
For media enquiries:
Maria De Cort | maria@cancer.org.nz | 021 991 952
Notes to editors:
The Cancer Society of New Zealand | Te Kāhui Matepukupuku o Aotearoa is an independent charitable organisation and New Zealand’s leading cancer charity. The Cancer Society’s full 2026 Election Manifesto is available at cancer.org.nz/manifesto.
The $2 million joint investment covers the 2026/27 financial year. The Cancer Society’s $1 million contribution will be drawn from charitable reserves committed to cancer prevention.