12/05/2026
Like many Australians impacted by skin cancer, we opened the new 2026/27 Federal Health Budget eagerly searching for signs of progress toward a National Skin Check Program.
Since 2010, Skin Check Champions has advocated strongly for this issue through Federal Budget submissions, meetings with ministers and key decision makers, and a Parliamentary Petition signed by more than 2,800 Australians.
While there was no major new screening funding announcement, the Government’s $10.4M investment into the National Roadmap for a Targeted Melanoma Screening Program continues to be developed by the Melanoma Institute Australia, with findings expected in 2028.
Skin Check Champions is proud to be one of the stakeholders contributing to that national conversation alongside researchers, clinicians and policymakers.
Importantly, the conversation is no longer just about skin checks alone.
It’s increasingly about how Australia can build a smarter, more connected early detection system that combines prevention, risk identification, digital tools, workforce innovation, follow-up pathways, data integration and equitable access for high-risk communities.
The direction of travel is becoming clearer:
• Targeted screening for high-risk Australians
• Better regional and remote access
• Nurse-led models of care
• AI-assisted risk assessment
• Stronger digital and data systems
• Scalable community healthcare delivery
To be honest, it’s encouraging to see.
Because for more than 15 years, our team has been working hard to build these solutions in the real world, without direct government funding.
Through more than 36,000 skin checks across over 220 clinics, we’ve helped identify more than 660 suspected melanomas and over 2,400 non-melanoma skin cancers by bringing world-class early detection directly into Australian communities that need it most.
2028 feels a long way away, especially for the more than 2,000 Australians who continue to lose their lives to melanoma every year, but we remain optimistic that meaningful national progress can and will be made through strong collaboration between government, researchers, clinicians, technology providers and community organisations.
Together, we can make skin cancer history. 🌞🔎🏁
