AIA Australia and Cancer Council Victoria are developing a digital cancer screening tool that will be made available to AIA customers in the coming months to help identify which of Australia’s national cancer screening programs they may be eligible for.
The tool was outlined during an AIA Embrace webinar featuring AIA Shared Value Manager, Kris Matthews and Cancer Council Victoria Head of Cancer Screening, Early Detection and Immunisation, Kate Broun.
Matthews said the tool forms part of AIA’s Embrace wellbeing ecosystem, which supports customers through prevention, intervention, recovery and return to work.
Broun said Australia’s national screening programs for bowel, breast, cervical and lung cancer have contributed to improvements in cancer outcomes by helping detect cancer before symptoms develop.
She said Australia recorded almost 170,000 new cancer cases and more than 53,000 deaths in 2025, while the national five-year cancer survival rate had increased to 72%, compared with about 50% three decades ago.
…modelling indicates up to one million Australians were eligible for the program…
Broun said the National Lung Cancer Screening Program, introduced in July last year, had screened almost 100,000 Australians during its first year and identified about 230 lung cancer cases.
She said modelling indicates up to one million Australians were eligible for the program, which targets people aged 50 to 70 with a significant smoking history.
Broun also highlighted recent changes to other national screening programs, including lowering the starting age for the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program from 50 to 45 years and the introduction of self-collection as an option for cervical screening. She said more than half of cervical screening participants now choose self-collection.
…AIA Vitality members can earn points for completing eligible health screenings…
During the webinar, Broun said increasing participation in screening programs required sustained community education and engagement, with Cancer Council Victoria using behavioural science to improve awareness, knowledge and confidence among eligible Australians.
Matthews said AIA Vitality members can earn points for completing eligible health screenings and donate activity rewards to Cancer Council Australia. She also said AIA provides support through its Embrace program for customers diagnosed with cancer, including treatment resources, coaching and return-to-work assistance.
