Operation Wipe Out: Statewide Action Plan to Eliminate Cervical Cancer in Alabama
May 9th, 2023
Alabama currently ranks third nationally for cervical cancer cases and deaths, a reality which is simply unacceptable given that this is a preventable and highly treatable disease. To address this public health problem, TogetHER for Health joined with multiple partners from across Alabama to launch Operation Wipe Out in late 2021.
Central to the efforts of Operation Wipe Out to date is engaging with community leaders and professionals to find local solutions. In October 2022, Wipe Out partners, led by the Alabama Department of Public Health, hosted a two-day Cervical Cancer Summit, for health care providers from across 67 counties across the state to understand the barriers, opportunities, and potential solutions to improve coverage rates for HPV vaccination, cervical screening and follow-up.
We’re thrilled to announce that these deep conversations and an unwavering focus on bringing prevention services closer to those in need have borne fruit. On Monday, May 8th, the Alabama Department of Public Health launched the Strategic Action Plan for Cervical Cancer Elimination as a Public Health Problem in the State of Alabama. Read the full plan here.
This makes Alabama the first state in the United States to lay out a strategy to end cervical cancer deaths. It’s an incredible, lifesaving commitment by the state, made possible through partnership and evidence-based advocacy from across communities and sectors.
The 30-minute news conference featured speakers from the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, TogetHER for Health, the Rotary Club of Birmingham, and the American Cancer Society. The event can be viewed in full here.
We’d like to acknowledge and congratulate all of our Operation Wipe Out partners on this significant milestone, and we look forward to doing our part to take the Plan forward – and to watching these commitments translated into lives saved across Alabama.
For more on the launch and the plan, visit the Alabama Department of Public Health website. A blog on the new plan authored by Alabama State Health Office Dr. Scott Harris can be accessed here.
Other news coverage of the event:
“Alabama pushes for more HPV vaccines, cervical cancer screenings” (AL.com)
“Alabama Department of Public Health is Working with Statewide Agencies to end Cervical Cancer.” (WAKA)
“Alabama health officials seek to eliminate cervical cancer by 2033.” (WBHM)
“Alabama launches statewide action plan to eliminate cervical cancer.” (WTVY)