Endometriosis New Zealand is calling on political parties to commit to four practical policy priorities ahead of the 2026 General Election, including a National Endometriosis Action Plan for New Zealand and adoption of the new RANZCOG Australian Living Evidence Guideline: Endometriosis.
Endometriosis affects at least 120,000 New Zealanders, yet too many people still face long delays to diagnosis, inequitable access to treatment, and significant impacts on their education, work, finances and quality of life. New Zealanders with endometriosis wait close to 10 years on average for diagnosis, with Māori and Pasifika facing even longer delays.
Chief Executive Tanya Cooke says Endometriosis New Zealand’s 2026 Election Manifesto is intended to put practical, evidence-based solutions in front of parties as they consider the policies they wish to take into the upcoming General Election.
“Endometriosis is not a niche issue. It is a major health, workforce and productivity issue affecting a huge number of New Zealanders, and for far too many of them the current system is simply not working,” says Cooke.
“People are waiting far too long for diagnosis, struggling to access the treatment and care they need, and carrying the personal and financial burden of a condition that is still under-recognised.”
The two priority policy actions in the manifesto are:
- Develop, resource and implement a National Endometriosis Action Plan for New Zealand, to improve education and awareness, diagnosis, treatment, care and research.
- Adopt and implement the new RANZCOG Australian Living Evidence Guideline: Endometriosis as a more current clinical framework for diagnosis and treatment.
“New Zealand currently has no dedicated nationwide programme designed to address endometriosis. A National Endometriosis Action Plan, such as Australia has, would provide the direction and investment needed to drive improvement across the whole system, including diagnosis, treatment, research and awareness.”
“At the same time, New Zealand’s current 2020 guideline is outdated. The newer RANZCOG Living Evidence Guideline provides a more modern clinical framework, including greater use of non-invasive imaging, earlier access to treatment and a stronger emphasis on multidisciplinary care.”
“What we are calling for is not unrealistic or untested. These are practical, evidence-based solutions that would help address the lack of national focus that continues to fail many people with endometriosis and leave them waiting too long for diagnosis and treatment.”
The manifesto also includes two supporting policy actions:
- Ensure adenomyosis is addressed in any new clinical guideline for endometriosis and explicitly included in a National Endometriosis Action Plan.
- Continue improvements to Pharmac’s funding model, including stronger patient input, greater transparency, and faster assessment of funding applications.
Recent research has highlighted the broader cost of inaction on endometriosis. The national economic burden of endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain has been measured in the billions of dollars per year, with a large proportion driven by lost productivity. Alongside that, people with endometriosis often face major out-of-pocket costs and financial strain as they try to access medicines and treatment, and deal with loss of work and income.
“These are not abstract policy issues,” says Cooke. “They are real problems affecting people’s health, education, employment, financial wellbeing and everyday lives.”
“The reforms and investment we are calling for would help create a health system that is more responsive to the needs of people with endometriosis, while also reducing the broader national cost of inaction.”
Endometriosis New Zealand has released its manifesto publicly and will now use it to support engagement with political parties and candidates ahead of the election.