Norris, Teresa

Teresa Norris is a Sexual Health Specialist and the Founder and President of HPV Global Action/VPH Action Globale, a bilingual, international registered charity since 2006. She has the objective of preventing negative health outcomes and offers forward-thinking healthcare and academic programs daily in diverse socio-economic communities internationally; educating and captivating individuals of all ages and demographics about sexual and reproductive health in the context of healthy relationships with a particular emphasis on avoiding human papillomavirus (HPV) and its consequences which include 9 preventable HPV-related cancers.

She is highly regarded as an effective public communicator; clearly conveying complex ideas. Since 2019 , her secondary school intervention  is an evaluation research project through McGill University in Canada, which assesses the impact of the presentation called Health Relationships _101   being done across Canada for 14-18 year-old students’  to evaluate their knowledge, attitudes, behaviours, and perceptions of sexual and reproductive health topics. This anonymous pre and 1-month post evaluation measures modifications in all these spheres. This study will continue to collect data through 2024 and provide insight on what youth know and what are effective methods to meeting the needs of today’s youth so they can develop healthy habits in their relationships.

Teresa is also a member of a provincial Canadian Non for profit Cancer Advocacy group called Coalition Priorité Cancer au Québec since 2008. She participates in lobbying efforts on policy issues in Quebec, Canada. She has been re- elected yearly to the Executive Committee as Treasurer since 2011 taking on all financial aspects. Since 2016, she has also taken on tasks of a General Director. In addition to these roles, Teresa specifically advocates and lobbies on HPV, Cervical Cancer and HPV-related cancers issues in all provincial forums, particularly with Quebec’s Health Ministry. Teresa is also speaking on behalf of HPV Global Action and all Canadian citizens for gender-neutral school-based HPV vaccination programs and the best standard of  cervical screening through HPV testing for women and people with a cervix country-wide. With the support of the organization, Teresa is also advocating for further equitable access to HPV prevention and cervical screening and access to treatment both in Canada and internationally. Alongside the annual academic programs and ongoing advocacy initiatives in Canada, Teresa is steering HPV Global Action in the launch of an implementation research project launching in early 2023 focused in low- and middle-income Sub Saharan African countries, working toward achieving the World Health Organization’s goal to be on the pathway by 2030 to eliminating cervical cancer.
HPV Global Action has developed synergies at different organizational and governmental levels evolving from local initiatives and up to the international stage. What is next? Teresa and her team are working to expand their reach with healthcare professionals, clinicians, and health systems around the world.