Washington, D.C. – The National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD) mourns the death of Dr. Ward Cates, Jr., a leading public health champion and sexual and reproductive health researcher.  Dr. Cates’ distinguished career included 20 years at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where he was a former Director of the Division of STD Prevention, and later included ground breaking work at Family Health International (now FHI 360) as well as an Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Emory University’s School of Public Health.

“Much can be said about Ward’s career, including that he possessed a brilliant mind, always demonstrated a charitable collegiality, and firmly understood that a larger rubric of sexual and reproductive health lifts all boats,” said William Smith, Executive Director of the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD).  “Ward was both a friend and a tireless champion of public health and on behalf of all the members of NCSD, I send our deepest sympathies to his family and friends,” continued Smith.

Dr. Cates is survived by his wife, Joan Roberts Cates; two daughters, Deborah Cates Knighton (Tim) and Sarah Cates Parker (Andy); and four grandchildren, Charles Watts Knighton, Henry Sands Knighton, Katherine Elizabeth Parker, and Addison Margaret Parker.

Donation in Ward’s memory can be made to The Guttmacher Institute, 125 Maiden Lane, 7th floor, New York, NY 10038, www.guttmacher.org.

###

The National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD) is a partnership of public health professionals dedicated to promoting sexual health through the prevention of STDs. NCSD provides dynamic leadership that strengthens STD Programs by advocating for effective policies, strategies, and sufficient resources by increasing awareness of the medical and social impacts of STDs. For more information, visit www.NCSDDC.org.