Women in remote communities are facing a healthcare gap due to the long commutes needed to access vital breast screening services, a new report reveals.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report - 'Access to BreastScreen Australia screening services' - released Thursday night found that among women aged 50–74 participation in screening was lowest for those who lived in very remote areas at 37 per cent.

The study found that in areas defined as very remote, one in four women aged 50–74 live more than a one-hour drive from a permanent screening service, or even one that visits at least every two years.

While the report found that while 94 per cent of all women aged 50-74 live within a 20-minute drive of a permanent or visiting screening service, just 89 per cent of Indigenous women in that age cohort do.

The study found that in 2020–2021, while 48 per cent of non-Indigenous women aged 50–74 participated in breast screening, only 35 per cent of First Nations women aged 50-74 did.

The findings also noted that COVID-19 resulted in "slightly lower participation" than before the pandemic.

The report features an interactive map that highlights where the women who face much longer drives live, and will be used by the federal and state and territory governments in the planning and delivery of breast cancer screening services including the optimal allocation of breast screening services.

The report also allows for comparison of access and participation of priority populations (including First Nations women) to breast screening services.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare spokesperson Dr Martin Edvardsson noted that early detection using screening mammography can reduce illness and death from breast cancer.

The AIHW said in a statement issued late on Thursday that screening is "often the first step in the diagnosis and care for women with breast cancer".

All Australian states and territories operate BreastScreen services with free screening mammograms to detect breast cancer early. The services operate about 161 permanent and 664 visiting sites that provide screening mammograms.

Women aged over 40 years can have a free screening mammogram every two years. Women aged 50–74 are actively encouraged to screen, and eligible women aged 40–49 and over 74 years can also have a free screening mammogram.

The National Preventive Health Strategy 2021–2030 set a breast screening participation rate target of at least 65 per cent by 2025.

To find your nearest breast screening service, visit the Department of Health and Aged Care's information page.