Bowel cancer screening age change criticized for Māori, Pasifika

New Zealand's Health Minister Simeon Brown announced a change in bowel cancer screening. The government will lower the screening age from 60 to 58 for all New Zealanders. However, plans to lower the age to 50 for Māori and Pacific men have been canceled. This decision has upset many people working to prevent bowel cancer. The change comes after Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's promise to improve bowel cancer screening similar to Australia's approach. New Zealand has a high rate of bowel cancer, with over 3,000 new cases each year and around 1,200 deaths. The author expresses deep sadness about losing family members to this disease. In recent years, they have lost both a sister and a brother, along with other relatives. They feel frustrated and heartbroken, saying it is painful to bury people who die too young.