Manitoba's NDP government sets timeline for dropping breast screening age to 40 after PCs tried to make it law

Manitoba's health minister announced plans to lower the breast cancer screening age to 40 on the same morning the legislature was debating an Official Opposition bill that would have legislated the same thing.

Uzoma Asagwara said Thursday that the minimum age for self-referrals in the province will drop to 40 by December 2026.

The NDP government said last month that the eligibility age would dropto 45 from the current 50 by the end of next year and promised to cut it to 40 at some unspecified date.

At the time, Progressive Conservative health critic Kathleen Cook said in a statement the promisetoeventually lower the ageto40is "simply not good enough" and the province needs"concrete action and a solid, transparent plan."

Cook went on to introduce a private member'sbill in October thatset a hard deadline of Dec. 31, 2026, for lowering the self-referral screening age to 40. The bill received second reading on Thursday morning.

That same morning, Asagwaradenied the government was setting its own date because of pressure from the Tories.

'Your voices being heard'

"I want to be very clear: this is our government's response to the advocacy of breast cancer patients, survivors, women and those across our province who have been impacted," the minister said.

"We have been listening to their voices, we have been meeting with them, we've been meeting with you. And this step today is a direct result of all of your voices coming to the table, coming to our offices, coming to our communities, and your voices being heard."

Other provinces have either recently lowered the age orlaid out timelines to do so after a draft ofnew Canadian screening guidelines suggested people be allowed to request a mammogram starting at age 40, but that mammograms not be routinely done under age 50.

TheCanadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care a Public Health Agency of Canada-created panel of health professionals that offers guidlines for health-care practitioners "does not recommend regular screenings for women under 50 who are of average risk," a spokesperson previously told CBC News.

In Manitoba's case, Asagwarasaid lowering the age to 40 is "a really aggressive timeline," but the work involved inhiring approximately 13more mammography technologists andaddingscreening appointmentsis important.

The government has been working toward these improvements for months already, Asagwara said.

"ToManitobans who are asking why not do this faster, I want to reassure them: we are working as fast and as hard as we can to make sure we can lower the breast screening age, build capacity and get this care to women and those who need it across our province," Asagwara said.

Manitoba currently recommends routine mammogram screening every two years for women and gender-diverse people age 50 to 74 without needing a doctor's referral. Routine screenings aren't recommended for people under 50 or over 74, although doctors can refer older or younger patients for mammograms.

During question period Thursday afternoon, Cook said she's grateful for the province's announcementbut is still pushing for her private member's bill to pass.The legislation would also mandate yearly public reporting of the number of mammograms performed each year.

"If they are in fact doing the work to lowerthe breast cancer screening age, then this additional transparency and accountability to Manitoba women should be no problem at all," Cook said.

Women age 40 to 49 can self-refer to breast screening programs in Ontario,British Columbia,Nova Scotia,Prince Edward Island,New BrunswickandYukon. The government inNewfoundland and Labradorsays it will get to 40.

Saskatchewanis following suit using a phased approachthat will be in effect in January.

Both theNorthwest TerritoriesandAlbertahave routine screening starting at age 45.