Home arrow News arrow Health and Medicine arrow Media invited to cover launch of N.C. Cervical Cancer-Free Initiative May 18
Media invited to cover launch of N.C. Cervical Cancer-Free Initiative May 18 E-mail
Monday, May 17, 2010

Media representatives are invited to cover the launch of the “Cervical Cancer-Free N.C.” initiative. Gov. Bev Perdue and others will speak about the state’s efforts to eliminate cervical cancer. The initiative is a partnership between community members, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health and the N.C. Division of Public Health.

Tuesday, May 18, 4 p.m.
Crabtree Valley Marriott
4500 Marriott Drive
Raleigh, NC 27612

Special guest speaker: Gov. Bev Perdue
Gov. Perdue supports the collaborative effort to stop cervical cancer in North Carolina and across the nation. “Initiatives like this go hand-in-hand with efforts such as our state’s investment in the University Cancer Research Fund, a historic commitment to preventing and treating cancer through innovative medical research within our world-class universities,” she has said.

Other speakers available for interviews include:

  • Jeff Engle, Ph.D., state health director
  • Lynn Erdman, senior vice president, South Atlantic division, American Cancer Society
  • Marie Miranda-Robles, cervical cancer survivor
  • Walter Shepherd, program director, N.C. Comprehensive Cancer Program
  • Noel Brewer, Ph.D., UNC associate professor of health behavior and health education; UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center member
  • Jennifer Smith, Ph.D., UNC research associate professor of epidemiology; Lineberger Center member
  • H. Shelton Earp III, M.D., director, Lineberger Center; UNC professor of medicine and pharmacology
  • Linda Rascoe, director, North Carolina Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program
  • Beth Rowe-West, immunization branch head, N.C. Department of Health and Human Services

The Cervical Cancer-Free Initiative is a multi-year project aimed at eliminating cervical cancer, through vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) and effective screening for early signs of cervical cancer. Initial funding comes from a $1.5 million unrestricted educational grant to UNC’s public health school by GlaxoSmithKline. North Carolina is one of four states (along with California, Alabama and Kentucky) already involved. For more details, go to http://bit.ly/9FgAks.

Additional opportunities: The N.C. Cervical Cancer Coalition will meet 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. to discuss the project. Media may attend and may talk to participants between the meeting and the launch event.

Gillings School of Global Public Health contact: Ramona DuBose, (919) 966-7467, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Lineberger  Center contact: Dianne Shaw, (919) 966-5905, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it