Federal health officials Friday announced a $95 million effort to reduce the disproportionate cancer deaths among racial minorities — and some of that money is coming to South Carolina.

The National Cancer Institute developed the new Community Networks Program to fund efforts to link researchers and health educators with people in minority communities.

James Hebert, a University of South Carolina cancer researcher, has been awarded a $2.5 million grant to lead a program that USC and Clemson University will collaborate on.

The focus in South Carolina will be liaisons with black church groups, he said.

“A lot of the faith communities are making a connection between their spiritual mission and the physical health of their congregations,” said Hebert, an epidemiologist and a professor in the Arnold School of Public Health.

Outreach to those communities should allow people to ask questions about cancer, suggest ideas for study, and ultimately reduce cancer rates, he said.

African-Americans have higher rates of cancer and cancer deaths than any other ethnic group. In South Carolina, for example, black men have a 15.5 percent greater chance of colon cancer than white men, and black women have a 22 percent greater rate than white women.

The universities will partner with the Baptist Education and Missionary Convention and the S.C. Primary Health Care Association. The main emphasis will be breast, cervical, colorectal, thoracic, and head and neck cancers.

Lee Moultrie of Charleston, long active in efforts to educate black men about health issues, said the faith focus makes sense.

“That’s the largest gathering of folks you’re going to have come together,” said Moultrie, the state chairman for the National Black Leadership Initiative on Cancer.

He predicted that black churches will be eager to take part in the five-year initiative, which was announced by Mike Leavitt, secretary of Health and Human Services.

More information online: crchd.nci.nih.gov.

Reach Lamb at (803) 771-8454 or llamb@thestate.com.