Te Oranga Pūkahukahu research programme: intentional steps towards a national equity‐focused lung cancer screening programme in Aotearoa New Zealand

Screening of at-risk, asymptomatic people can significantly reduce mortality from lung cancer. However, evidence about how to optimise lung cancer screening for specific populations, including Aotearoa New Zealand's Indigenous Māori, who experience disproportionately higher rates of lung cancer, is needed to ensure that a future lung screening programme in Aotearoa New Zealand is equitable. Te Oranga Pūkahukahu is a world-first, Indigenous-led research programme designed intentionally to provide evidence to inform a national screening programme that will benefit Māori. The research programme has already provided policy-relevant information on key parameters relevant to the future design of an equitable screening service. This paper outlines the work completed to date, including the rationale and the strategies employed by the research group to advance the work and discusses the potential for a future national lung cancer screening programme and the further work required to make this happen.