New Zealand Cervical Cancer Elimination Plan 2026 to 2040

On 1 September 2026, the Government launched The New Zealand Cervical Cancer Elimination Plan 2026 to 2040 to set a clear path to eliminate cervical cancer in Aotearoa New Zealand by 2040.

Every year around 179 people in Aotearoa are diagnosed with cervical cancer and about 52 people die from the disease. Māori, Pacific peoples and people living in areas of high deprivation continue to experience higher rates of cervical cancer and poorer outcomes.

Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancer. Working together with whānau, communities and the health sector, we can eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 through:

Improving Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates. While cervical cancer is the most common cancer caused by HPV, the virus can also cause head and neck cancer, and cancer in other parts of the body. About a third of all HPV cancers affect men.

Enhancing HPV screening uptake and timely follow-up after positive results

Providing optimal treatment of cervical pre-cancer and cancer.

Elimination does not mean cervical cancer will disappear completely. It means reducing cervical cancer to a very low level (less than four cases per 100,000 women annually) so that it is no longer considered a public health problem.

Before the release of this Plan, New Zealand had established vaccination, screening and treatment services. However, there was no coordinated national plan to drive action and monitor progress towards elimination. Te Aho o Te Kahu and the Ministry of Health worked with Health New Zealand, and the wider sector to develop the Plan informed by the WHO’s Global Strategy to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem. It sets out a clear goal of elimination by 2040 and identifies actions needed to achieve and sustain elimination. 

Targets for eliminating cervical cancer in Aotearoa New Zealand

The New Zealand Cervical Cancer Elimination Plan 2026 to 2040 provides a comprehensive approach, setting out clear objectives and actions, to place the country firmly on the path towards elimination. The Plan:

establishes national targets across vaccination, screening and treatment

coordinates and prioritises action across the health system

enables regular monitoring and reporting of progress.

In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer. The New Zealand Cervical Cancer Elimination Plan aligns with this strategy while setting targets specific to New Zealand.

These targets will be considered achieved when they are met and sustained across all population groups. This will require a targeted approach that improves outcomes across all population groups while prioritising those experiencing the greatest unmet health need. 

HPV Vaccination

Target: By 2035 90% of all people receive at least one dose of the HPV vaccine by age 15.

New Zealand's current state (June 2026):

69% of eligible people received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine by age 15
Young adults, Māori, Pacific peoples and people living in areas of high deprivation have lower vaccination rate.

Screening

Target: By 2030 80% of people are up to date with cervical screening

Current progress (June 2026):

77% of eligible people are up to date with cervical screening
Young adults, Māori and Asian peoples experience lower screening participation. The greatest improvement since the rollout of primary HPV testing was seen in Pacific peoples.

Target: By 2030 80% of people receive timely colposcopy within 30 working days

Current progress (June 2026):

67% of participants requiring a colposcopy within 30 working days of referral following a positive screening result, receive the procedure within 30 working days of referral
Timely colposcopy is low among Māori, Pacific peoples, and people residing in the most deprived areas.

Treatment

Target: By 2030 90% of people with high-grade cervical pre-cancerous lesions treated within 40 working days

New Zealand's current state (June 2026): 77% of participants with high-grade cervical pre-cancerous lesions following screening are treated within 40 working days of their decision to treat.

Target: By 2030 90% of people with cervical cancer receive cancer management within 31 days

Current progress (June 2026): 89% of people with cervical cancer received cancer management within 31 days of the decision to treat. The Faster Cancer Treatment 31-day rate was the lowest among Pacific peoples.

Eliminating cervical cancer will require collaboration across communities, health services and government. Together, we can ensure that future generations are protected from a disease that is largely preventable.

Download the plan

To read the actions that the sector will be taking to achieve the targets (above) please read The New Zealand Cervical Cancer Elimination Plan 2026 to 2040 (Pdf 860kb). 

For a comprehensive overview of the burden of cervical cancer in New Zealand, how the Plan was developed and how the human papillomavirus (HPV) infection contributes to cervical and other cancers please read the supplementary document below. 

Supplementary Document to The Cervical Cancer Elimination Plan 2026–2040 (Word 247kb)

Supplementary Document to The Cervical Cancer Elimination Plan 2026 –2040 (Pdf 208kb)