Current NSU Programmes

Antenatal HIV Screening

Antenatal HIV screening, along with the other five antenatal blood tests, is offered to all pregnant women as a routine part of their antenatal care. Most women in New Zealand will be found not to have HIV. Women who are found to have HIV can then be offered treatment to reduce the chance that they will transmit the virus to the baby.

Antenatal Screening for Down Syndrome and other conditions – Quality Improvements

Antenatal Screening for Down Syndrome – Quality Improvement Measures

All women have a choice to be screened for Down syndrome and other conditions in pregnancy. The National Screening Unit is currently managing the development and implementation of quality improvements for antenatal screening for Down syndrome and other conditions.

BreastScreen Aotearoa

New Zealand’s free national breast screening programme checks women for signs of early breast cancer. Regular mammograms are available for women aged between 45 and 69 to reduce their risk of dying of breast cancer.

National Cervical Screening Programme

The National Cervical Screening Programme is available to all women in New Zealand between 20 and 70 years old. The screening test checks for abnormal cell changes to the cervix, reducing the risk of women developing cervical cancer.

Newborn Metabolic Screening Programme

The Newborn Metabolic Screening Programme screens for rare but potentially serious disorders such as phenylketonuria (PKU), cystic fibrosis, and congenital hypothyroidism. A blood sample is taken from your baby’s heel at 48 hours of age (the ‘heel prick’ or ‘Guthrie’ test). If a disorder is found, early treatment can prevent permanent damage or death.

Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Programme

Newborn hearing screening checks whether your baby hears well. If your baby has a hearing loss, finding it early is good for their language, learning and social development. When the Newborn Hearing Screening Programme is in place throughout the country, all 21 District Health Boards will offer screening free of charge.