The Hon Greg Hunt MP
Minister for Health and Aged Care
Many of us have New Year’s resolutions but the most important one all Australians can make in 2022 is to get any health checks they put aside during the pandemic.
With the heavy focus on COVID-19 for the past two years, many of us haven’t prioritised other areas of our health.
Prevention is a key priority for the Morrison Government. Our 10-year National Preventive Health Strategy focuses on valuing health before illness, highlighting the immense value of maintaining good health throughout a person’s life.
Now is the time to do just that. Australia has a world-class health system and, like COVID, we can prevent many diseases and conditions from developing, or reduce their impact.
One of the best ways to prevent future illness is to keep up to date with regular health checks and early detection programs such as cancer screenings, regular immunisations, and tests for blood borne viruses and sexually transmitted infections.
Regular cancer screening saves lives and early detection leads to better outcomes for cancer treatments. Some types of cancer can be detected before symptoms appear, and screening can also find changes in cells before they become cancer.
There are three world-leading population-based cancer screening programs in Australia:
- Cervical screening every five years for women aged 25 to 74, subsidised by Medicare
- Breast screening – or mammograms – provided free every two years for women aged 40 to 74 years
- Bowel screening tests – a free, easy, at-home test posted to men and women aged 50 to 74 every two years.
The timing of your next screening will depend on your age, gender and when your last screening was. If you need screening in 2022, you may need to book an appointment.
