Te Aho o Te Kahu | Cancer Control Agency

What Te Aho o Te Kahu | Cancer Control Agency does

Te Aho o Te Kahu is the Cancer Control Agency of Aotearoa New Zealand, established in December 2019 as a departmental agency hosted by the Ministry of Health and reporting directly to the Minister of Health. The agency provides centralized leadership and oversight of cancer control across the cancer continuum, advising government on the future design and function of cancer services, coordinating stakeholders, running national initiatives, assembling and disseminating cancer data, and supporting cancer service providers. It serves the entire New Zealand population affected by cancer (more than 25,000-30,000 people diagnosed annually, with cancer the leading cause of health loss in the country) and works with District Health Boards, Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora, the National Child Cancer Network, Māori cancer leadership (Hei Āhuru Mōwai), Pacific community partners, the National Clinical Assembly, and consumer advisory groups.

The agency's core technology asset is CanShare, a national health informatics platform that standardizes cancer data sharing across the health system using SNOMED CT for clinical terminology and FHIR for near real-time data exchange. The April 2025 SNOMED CT release comprised 627 reference sets with 443 new concepts, supporting structured pathology reporting, radiation oncology data collection (ROC), the systemic anti-cancer therapy (SACT) registry, and the Cancer Quality Performance Indicator Programme covering colorectal, lung, head and neck, prostate, pancreatic, melanoma, and neuroendocrine cancers. Operational products include Raurau Ngaehe, a cloud-based oncology and haematology ePrescribing system (built by Valentia Technologies, serving 600 clinicians and over 40,000 treatments annually in the Northern Region); ACT-NOW, a national SACT regimen library with 837 published regimens; the AI-assisted Structured Anatomical Pathology (ASAP) pilot developed with AWS and Deloitte; and multiple public-facing dashboards including the State of Cancer Dashboard, Cancer Care Data Explorer, Route to Cancer Diagnosis Dashboard, Radiation Oncology Collection Dashboard, and CanStats portal.

Te Aho o Te Kahu does not generate commercial revenue. It is fully funded through New Zealand government appropriations as a Crown agency, with services, data, and information provided to the public and health professionals at no direct cost. Its strategic direction is set by the New Zealand Cancer Action Plan, with the 2026-2029 refresh superseding the original 2019-2029 plan across eight focus areas from prevention through end-of-life care. The agency's leadership is headed by Chief Executive Dr Diana Sarfati, supported by a Senior Leadership Team and advisory bodies including Hei Āhuru Mōwai, the National Clinical Assembly, He Ara Tangata (Consumer Advisory Group), and an Advisory Council.

Name

Te Aho o Te Kahu | Cancer Control Agency

Legal name

Te Aho o Te Kahu - Cancer Control Agency

Website

https://teaho.govt.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Te Aho o Te Kahu is the New Zealand Cancer Control Agency, a 62-person departmental agency hosted by the Ministry of Health that provides centralized leadership, oversight, and national cancer data infrastructure (CanShare) for all New Zealanders across the cancer continuum.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Cancer Control Services

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical Oncology (HLAKAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Health Reporting, Dashboards & KPI Performance Management (HLAJANAO), Health Technology Assessment (HTA) & Reimbursement Policy Bodies (HLAJACAF)

Keywords

• Cancer control services
• Health data analytics
• Clinical informatics
• Cancer registry
• Public health policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Te Aho o Te Kahu is a departmental agency reporting directly to the Minister of Health and hosted by the Ministry of Health. As a government agency, it is funded through public taxation and government appropriations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Te Aho o Te Kahu is New Zealand's national Cancer Control Agency, providing central leadership and oversight of cancer control across the continuum. It advises the Government on cancer service design, brings stakeholders together to progress shared objectives, undertakes national initiatives to improve cancer outcomes, assembles and shares cancer data through the CanShare platform and related dashboards, and supports cancer service providers and District Health Boards. Its core operational outputs are national data platforms (CanShare, Raurau Ngaehe, ACT-NOW, ASAP) and quality improvement programmes (QPI, Optimal Cancer Care Pathways) delivered to the public health system at no direct cost.

Product overview

Te Aho o Te Kahu, the Cancer Control Agency, operates a multi-platform portfolio focused on cancer data, quality measurement, and care improvement across Aotearoa New Zealand. The core infrastructure is the CanShare national health informatics platform, which enables standardized cancer data sharing using SNOMED CT and FHIR standards. Key clinical tools include the Raurau Ngaehe ePrescribing system for oncology treatment management and the ACT-NOW Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy Regimen Library with 837 published regimens. The AI-assisted Structured Anatomical Pathology (ASAP) system uses artificial intelligence to draft pathology reports. Public-facing analytics include the Cancer Information Hub, State of Cancer Dashboard, Cancer Care Data Explorer, Radiation Oncology Collection Dashboard, Route to Cancer Diagnosis Dashboard, and CanStats portal. Quality measurement is delivered through the Cancer Quality Performance Indicator Programme and Optimal Cancer Care Pathways framework. The agency also maintains the Breast Cancer Foundation National Register and supports the Disability and Cancer Project. Strategic direction is guided by the New Zealand Cancer Action Plan 2026-2029.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CanShare: A national health informatics platform that aims to allow the timely sharing of relevant and accurate cancer data across Aotearoa New Zealand.
• ACT-NOW
• He Ara Tangata

Products and services

• CanShare

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 30,000 people diagnosed with cancer annually; cancer is leading cause of health loss in New Zealand
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• World Indigenous Cancer NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2026Te Aho o Te Kahu is a proud supporter of the World Indigenous Cancer Conference 2026, hosted by Hei Āhuru Mōwai and the World Indigenous Cancer Network. This conference brings together Indigenous health leaders, researchers, clinicians, and policymakers globally.
• National Child Cancer Network (NCCN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 November 2021Te Aho o Te Kahu works with the National Child Cancer Network to improve child cancer outcomes. The agency appointed a Clinical Lead for NCCN and supports coordination of world-class treatment for children with cancer across New Zealand.
• Hei Āhuru Mōwai (Māori Cancer Leadership Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHei Āhuru Mōwai is a key advisory partner that gifted Te Aho o Te Kahu its name. The name 'Te Aho o Te Kahu' means the central thread of the cloak and represents the role of uniting and aligning all service providers across the cancer continuum. The agency works closely with this Māori cancer leadership network to promote equitable outcomes in cancer care and diagnostics.
• Ministry of Health Manatū HauoracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTe Aho o Te Kahu is hosted by the Ministry of Health. The Ministry provides organizational infrastructure and the agency reports directly to the Minister of Health. The agency coordinates with the Ministry on OIA requests and information that may be held by both organizations.
• Health New Zealand - Te Whatu OracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth NZ is the national health system organizer that Te Aho o Te Kahu partners with to improve access to quality cancer services designed around the needs of people and whānau. The agency collaborates with Health NZ on data collection, cancer services planning, and quality improvement initiatives.
• Te Rēhita Mate Ūtaetae – Breast Cancer Foundation National RegistercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanShare and the Breast Cancer Foundation National Register teams work together to SNOMED CT code register fields, strengthen data quality, and improve interoperability for breast cancer data across Aotearoa. The Register has over 20 years of comprehensive breast cancer data.
• Moana ConnectsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoana Connect, a Pacific community research and learning organization, partnered with Te Aho o Te Kahu on qualitative research examining the lived experiences of Pacific cancer patients and their fānau in the Auckland region.
• National Clinical AssemblycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory group of clinical experts that provides guidance to Te Aho o Te Kahu on cancer control matters and helps inform the agency's work programme.
• He Ara Tangata (Consumer Advisory Group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsumer advisory group with up to 12 members who provide advice based on lived experience of cancer. Demonstrates the Agency's commitment to hearing voices of people living with cancer and their whānau.
• Valentia TechnologiessupportingTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner for the Raurau Ngaehe oncology and haematology ePrescribing system, the first application in Aotearoa to fully implement CanShare standards.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)supportingTechnology or IntegrationTechnology collaborator for the AI-assisted Structured Anatomical Pathology (ASAP) reporting pilot, working with pathologists and Health NZ.
• DeloittesupportingTechnology or IntegrationTechnology collaborator for the AI-assisted Structured Anatomical Pathology (ASAP) reporting pilot project.
• University of Nebraska (Prof Scott Campbell)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration on SNOMED CT ancillary studies templates for representing genetic tests and findings, contributing to international consistency and maintenance.
• New Zealand FormularycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative partner for the ACT-NOW Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy Regimen Library, providing standardized cancer treatment protocol definitions across New Zealand.
• Health Research Council of New ZealandsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funder of research into lung cancer screening and lung cancer, with $6.2 million in funding to improve lives of lung cancer patients.
• Cancer SocietysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in cancer sector collaboration, including support for neuroendocrine cancer patients requiring treatment during COVID-19.
• Unicorn Foundation NZsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational charity dedicated to neuroendocrine cancer diagnosis and management, partnering on interim PRRT treatment arrangements during COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• NHS England Cancer Programme: England's national cancer control programme within the NHS. Comparable role in setting standards, monitoring quality performance indicators, and driving equitable access to cancer care across a national population.
• Cancer Research UK: UK charity that funds cancer research and influences cancer policy. Comparable in its national-level cancer data publication, awareness campaigns, and equity/early-diagnosis advocacy.
• Public Health England (now UKHSA / OHID) Cancer Functions: UK public-health body historically responsible for cancer screening, registries, and population-level cancer data — comparable data-infrastructure and prevention remit, though embedded in a broader public-health agency.
• National Cancer Institute (NCI): US federal agency for cancer research and control. Comparable mission scope (national cancer oversight, data infrastructure, clinical guidance) but vastly larger scale and research mandate.

Others

• International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC): WHO agency producing global cancer statistics and research. Not a direct peer but supplies the international cancer-burden data and methodology (e.g., GLOBOCAN) that informs Te Aho o Te Kahu's planning.

Direct peers

• Cancer Australia: Australian Government statutory agency providing national leadership in cancer control. Closely comparable function — national cancer plan, data and reporting, equity priorities, and clinical guidance.
• Canadian Partnership Against Cancer: An independent, federally funded agency that coordinates Canada's cancer control strategy. Direct peer as it performs the same national cancer oversight, data coordination, and equity-focused mandate as Te Aho o Te Kahu.
• National Cancer Control Programme (Ireland): HSE-led national programme coordinating cancer services in Ireland. Comparable size and mandate to Te Aho o Te Kahu, with similar focus on prevention, screening, treatment quality, and population-level data.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cancer_agency
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/te-aho-o-te-kahu-cancer-control-agency-nz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Te Aho o Te Kahu | Cancer Control Agency