Operation Wipe Out – Driving Cervical Health in Alabama

November 28, 2023

TogetHER for Health has joined with colleagues from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Alabama’s Department of Public Health, the Rotary Clubs of Birmingham and LaFayette, and a host of other partners to launch Operation Wipe Out, a collaboration aiming to tackle Alabama’s disproportionately high rates of cervical cancer – some of the highest in the United States.

Operation Wipe Out has been working tirelessly to engage communities, build a network across public, private, and academic sectors, and make cervical cancer prevention a priority. For a great example, watch our recent video profiling Ms. Linda Hayes, an advocate bringing important information about cervical cancer prevention to Chambers County, Alabama.

The initial phase of this work culminated in May with the launch of the groundbreaking Strategic Action Plan for Cervical Cancer Elimination as a Public Health Problem in the State of Alabama, the first such plan in the United States.

“Operation Wipe Out symbolizes what’s best about our state: community-based organizations joining forces to ensure that every woman and child has the opportunity to access critical information and services to prevent HPV and HPV-related cancers, including cervical cancer.”

-Nancy Wright, MPH, Director, Cancer Prevention and Control Division, Alabama Department of Public Health

Now it’s time to turn strategy into action. The true impact of this partnership will be measured as the rates of HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening and treatment increase in the State – and as new diagnoses and – most importantly- preventable deaths from cervical cancer begin to fall.

You can read more about all that Operation Wipe Out has accomplished in this new brief. Just as importantly, you can read more about the work to come, including:

  • Regional meetings in South Alabama encouraging physicians and their clinic staff to join our efforts in eliminating cancer statewide.
  • Continued collaboration with school system superintendents and high school students to promote HPV vaccines in their schools and communities.
  • In-service training for nurses on colposcopy to enhance point-of-care screening and timely follow up across Alabama to improve health outcomes.
  • The enrollment of additional providers in the Alabama Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program.

We’re incredibly proud of all that Operation Wipe Out has accomplished in such a short amount of time, work that’s only been possible due to the collaborative spirit of our members.

Contributions to our NovembHER campaign are fueling our efforts to end preventable deaths from cervical cancer in Alabama – and across the world. Today, on Giving Tuesday, support our lifesaving work.