National Party proposes $600m health boost funded by foreign aid cuts and MFAT savings

National’s policy earmarks an extra $604 million for the national medicines budget, aiming to add 66 new drugs—among them 33 cancer therapies—and to broaden access to existing treatments. To finance the uplift, the party intends to slash foreign aid by 10%, saving $107.8 million annually, while preserving aid to Pacific nations that represent about two-thirds of New Zealand’s international development budget. In addition, MFAT will be required to meet a 2% baseline expenditure reduction, projected to save $45.6 million over the forecast period.

Health spokesperson Simeon Brown highlighted further plans to lower the bowel-screening age to 50 by 2029, extend free breast screening to age 74, and launch pilots for prostate and lung cancer screening, as well as a national target for clinical trials and CAR-T therapy. The package also proposes a Prevention Package to double prescriptions for chronic disease prevention by 2030, funded from existing health allocations.