2009-07-22 23:17:02 -

AUSTIN, TX -- (Marketwire) -- 07/22/09 -- Today the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) announced substantial new commitments to supporting women's health and the health of female cancer survivors from Brazil, Greece, Nigeria, South Africa and the United States as part of the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Campaign, an initiative to aggressively address the global cancer burden.
According to Cancer Research UK, more than one million women worldwide are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, accounting for a tenth of all new cancers and 23% of all female cancer cases. Breast cancer incidence rates vary considerably, with the highest rates in the developed world and the lowest rates in Africa and Asia. However, historically low rates of breast cancer in eastern Europe and the Far East have begun to rise rapidly and the incidence of breast cancer has been increasing for many years in economically developed countries. Europe sees around 430,000 new cases of breast cancer each year and the U.S. estimates 213,000 new breast cancer diagnoses annually.



Maria Caleffi, Founder of Federação Brasileira de Instituições Filantrópicas de Apoio à Saúde da Mama (FEMAMA) in Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil, is networking for breast cancer control in her country. By improving the conditions for survival through adequate tools and training, she hopes to reduce mortality rates and eliminate the stigma of the disease, allowing survivors to claim victory and turning breast cancer into a curable disease if detected at an early stage. Founded in 2006 to educate non-profits in the fight against breast cancer, FEMAMA operates around three basic strategies -- mobilize the community, advance medical research and fund government advocacy. There are 32 members across Brazil in the FEMAMA network.



Brother Charles Anthony, CEO of the The Ormylia Foundation, Center for Disease Prevention, Panagia Philanthropini in Ormylia, Greece, is committed to providing specialized cancer outreach to underprivileged women, regardless of race, religion or creed in Greece. The Ormylia Foundation offers free mammography, clinical breast examinations, clinical pelvic examinations and pap smears, and teaches breast self-examinations with the goal of giving 7,000 screenings to underprivileged women per year for the next five years. Ormylia Foundation staff will travel to remote communities and use churches, businesses, schools and central town locations, among others, to reach out to women. "For the immigrant populations from eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, these services are totally unavailable given the cultural barriers that exist," said Anthony. "The closed cultural traditions of the Turkish-speaking Muslims, Pomaks and Roma have even greater barriers. This program is unique, therefore, opening up populations who are in great need of these services with great love and care."



Princess Nikky Onyeri, Founder of the Princess Nikky Breast Cancer Foundation in Abuja, Nigeria, is relaunching the Forum of African First Lades Against Breast & Cervical Cancer this month. Her Foundation is focused on a number of initiatives, including: lobbying for the inclusion of cancer treatment in the national health insurance plan; strengthening the national cancer plan and ensuring it stays on the national health agenda; translating breast, cervical and prostate cancer awareness pamphlets in local languages; expanding the progress made in Nigeria by helping neighboring countries in Africa implement the model to draft cancer plans and uniting cancer advocates across Africa to change the myths surrounding cancer.



Beverly Du Toit, cancer survivor and volunteer with The Cancer Associate of South Africa in Sundowner, South Africa, teamed up with a fellow survivor to create The Cancer Coping Kit, a free audio-tape to empower newly diagnosed survivors and their families with practical tools and techniques that promote physical, emotional and mental well-being. After her diagnosis of stage three ovarian cancer, Du Toit said, "Surgery and chemotherapy...allowed me to understand, not only the physical disease, but the emotional and mental impact it has. Remission meant a re-evaluation of not only who I was, but what I wanted to do with my life." Her goal is to make The Cancer Coping Kit available to more people by ensuring its availability at the moment of diagnosis, translating it into additional languages and increasing distribution to five more countries and 50,000 kits.



Martha Hayward, Founder of Remember Beads/Womens Health Exchange in Ipswich, Massachusetts, aims to reach women worldwide and assure them they are not alone in their fight with breast cancer through the use of "beads"
that transcend language barriers and cultural differences. "Four years ago, my sister and I were diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent treatment simultaneously. I had a double mastectomy with no reconstruction," she explained. "In the year that followed I created Remember Beads(TM) as a tool to help open conversations about breast cancer and teach early detection techniques. I am determined to reach women worldwide with the message about early detection and encourage women to talk to one another so that none of us feel alone when facing cancer."



These women's health advocates will be joined by the health ministers of governments taking an active stance on cancer control and 250 attendees from more than 60 countries around the world at the Campaign's landmark event, the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Summit in Dublin, Ireland, Aug. 24-26, 2009. The list of health ministers confirmed to attend includes:

--  Laurette Onkelinx, Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health,
    Belgium
--  Mary Harney, Minister of Health and Children, Ireland
--  Dr. José Ángel Córdova Villalobos, Health Minister, Mexico
--  Dr. Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Rabeeah, Minister of Health, Saudi
    Arabia
    

Commenting on her participation, Irish Minister of Health Mary Harney said, "I am pleased to assist in creating a greater awareness of what needs to be done to reduce the burden of cancer through meaningful policy changes and action such as anti-tobacco and screening initiatives. I welcome the Lance Armstrong Foundation and other distinguished guests who will make their commitments at next month's Summit."



The LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Summit will make the case for urgent action to address the global cancer burden and introduce new commitments for cancer control by bringing together key stakeholders from all parts of the world.
The Summit will ignite a unified global movement while providing attendees the opportunity to connect with other advocates, network, gain media exposure and access tools and resources to help them mobilize in their own communities.



In September 2008, Lance Armstrong, LAF founder and chairman, cancer survivor and champion cyclist, announced the Foundation's commitment to making cancer a global priority at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting in New York. The LAF made this commitment after its worldwide research, conducted over 18 months, revealed widespread misconceptions, stigma and lack of awareness associated with cancer. In response, the LAF established the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Campaign to urgently address the burden of cancer worldwide and support the 28 million people living with cancer around the globe. Cancer kills more people every year than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined. It is estimated that cancer will be the leading cause of death worldwide by 2010. With such staggering statistics, the LAF recognized that a global challenge like cancer required a global movement. And so it began urging world leaders, leading cancer organizations and cancer survivors to join together by making commitments to take action in their communities to reduce the burden of cancer.



The LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Campaign has broken new ground with successes to date in Australia, California, Mexico, Italy and, currently, the Tour de France (July 4-26). The LAF is pleased to donate the proceeds from 130,000 LIVESTRONG wristbands sold in France and Monaco for EUR 1 during the course of the Tour de France to La Ligue Contre le Cancer and Ecoute Cancer Reconfort. The LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Campaign will head to the Tour of Ireland (Aug. 21-23) and the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Summit in Ireland (Aug. 24-26), as well as other locations to be announced. For more information on the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Campaign, please visit www.LIVESTRONGAction.org : .



About the Lance Armstrong Foundation


At the Lance Armstrong Foundation, we fight for the 28 million people around the world living with cancer today. There can be -- and should be -- life after cancer for more people. That's why we kick in at the moment of diagnosis, giving people the resources and support they need to fight cancer head-on. We find innovative ways to raise awareness, fund research and end the stigma about cancer that many survivors face. We connect people and communities to drive social change, and we call for state, national and world leaders to help fight this disease. Anyone anywhere can join our fight against cancer. Join us at www.LIVESTRONG.org : .



The Ormylia Foundation, Center for Disease Prevention, Panagia Philanthropini


www.ormyliafoundation.gr :


Princess Nikky Breast Cancer Foundation


www.nikkybcfoundation.org :


The Cancer Associate of South Africa


www.bevdutoit.com :


Remember Beads/Womens Health Exchange


www.rememberbeads.com :



Contact:
Rae Bazzarre
Lance Armstrong Foundation
(512) 279-8367
Email Contact :