OPERATION WIPE OUT participated in the “Celebrating the Global Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action: Elimination of HPV Cancers in the Southeast U.S.” webinar on November 18, 2025, showcasing how Alabama’s groundbreaking initiative is inspiring elimination efforts across the Southeast.
The webinar, hosted by the HPV Vaccination Roundtable of the Southeast, marked the five-year anniversary of the World Health Organization’s global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer as a significant public health concern.
Alabama’s Leadership in the Region
Nancy Wright, MPH, from the Alabama Department of Public Health, represented OPERATION WIPE OUT in the two-hour webinar, which highlighted cervical cancer elimination initiatives in Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
“It’s incredibly meaningful that we were asked to be part of two international events related to Cervical Cancer Elimination Day,” said Wright. “What’s even more exciting is that Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi each discussed how OPERATION WIPE OUT has supported and guided their efforts to launch their own elimination activities. It demonstrates how Alabama’s work is spreading throughout the Southeast U.S.”
Southeast Collaboration
The webinar featured presentations from public health leaders across the region:
Kentucky:
- Crystal Back, RN, Kentucky Department for Public Health
- Tara Pendygraft, MPH, Kentucky Department for Public Health
Louisiana:
- Rosamar Martinez, MPH, Louisiana Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (also served as moderator)
Mississippi:
- Amy Ellis, MS, Mississippi HPV Vaccination Roundtable
The event, moderated by Marissa Malchione from the Sabin Vaccine Institute, focused on the Southeast Roundtable’s elimination priority action area, with particular emphasis on how states are learning from and building upon Alabama’s model.
About the Event
The webinar took place on November 18, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time (10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Central Time), coinciding with the WHO’s Global Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action on November 17, 2025.
Participants learned about emerging elimination efforts across the Southeast and how collaborative partnerships between states are accelerating progress toward the shared goal of eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem.
Watch the Webinar:
View the full webinar recording
For more information about the HPV Vaccination Roundtable of the Southeast, visit stjude.org/southeast-roundtable or email PreventHPV@stjude.org.