The discovery that almost one million cervical screening reminder notifications were not sent has reignited concerns about New Zealand’s cervical screening programme, with leading Māori health researcher Professor Bev Lawton (Ngāti Porou) warning the failure has the potential to deepen long-standing inequities for wāhine Māori. Professor Lawton, one of Aotearoa’s foremost experts in Māori women’s…The discovery that almost one million cervical screening reminder notifications were not sent has reignited concerns about New Zealand’s cervical screening programme, with leading Māori health researcher Professor Bev Lawton (Ngāti Porou) warning the failure has the potential to deepen long-standing inequities for wāhine Māori. She says cervical screening programmes rely on public confidence, timely communication and equitable access, particularly for communities already facing poorer health outcomes. Wāhine Māori continue to experience significantly higher rates of cervical cancer than non-Māori women and are more likely to die from the disease. Health New Zealand has launched reviews into the notification breakdown while working to identify affected patients and restore confidence in the National Cervical Screening Programme.