SEVEN TIMES Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, who will by racing in Ireland next August, will appear at a major conference on cancer to be chaired by former president Mary Robinson in Dublin.
The conference is organised by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996 but recovered to win a record seven Tours de France from 1999 to 2005.
The Livestrong Global Cancer Summit will be held in Dublin between August 24th and 26th and will be preceded by the Tour of Ireland between August 19th and 23rd in which Armstrong will compete.
The summit will bring together world leaders, non-governmental organisations, corporate leaders and individuals involved in cancer research, care and treatment.
Mrs Robinson said she regarded healthcare as a “fundamental issue of human rights.”
“It is estimated that about one-third of cancers can be cured if detected and treated early. It is up to all of us – governments, non-governmental organisations, cancer survivors, all concerned individuals – to see that detection and treatment are offered to as much of the world’s population as possible.
“Through the Livestrong Global Cancer Summit we will make great strides towards making this a reality.”
Lance Armstrong Foundation president and chief executive Doug Ulman said Mrs Robinson embodies the “spirit of selfless service and leadership for the sake of positive change in our world.
“She has been a tireless advocate for issues at the intersection of health and human rights throughout her career – and we share the view that cancer control is at its core an issue of human rights.”
Armstrong said the summit’s goal was to bring world leaders, policymakers, agencies and survivors together “to avoid a public health catastrophe. Unless we act on a global level, cancer will be the leading cause of death by 2010,” he said.
