9.14.2006 - 09:51am ET

(CSRwire) ABBOTT PARK, Ill., - Abbott has once again been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) in recognition of the company's leading economic, social and environmental performance.

The Dow Jones Sustainability Index is the world's first benchmark tracking the performance of sustainability leaders on a global basis. To be included, selected companies, like Abbott, must meet rigorous criteria for marketing practices, corporate governance, environmental policy and management, environmental and social reporting, philanthropy and stakeholder engagement. As a member of DJSI World, Abbott is among the top 10 percent of the 2,500 largest companies in the Dow Jones Global Index in terms of social, economic and environmental performance.

Abbott was singled out as having the highest performance across the medical products group for environmental and social reporting; stakeholder engagement; brand management; labor practices; and supplier standards.

"We are proud to be recognized as a world leader in sustainable business practices," said Miles D. White, chairman and chief executive officer, Abbott. "This recognition is a testament to the outstanding work of the 65,000 Abbott employees who understand that social responsibility is fundamental to our culture and the way we do business."

Abbott's commitment to sustainability is far-reaching -- evidenced by the company's strong corporate governance; leading efforts in improving access to medicines; programs focused on improving the company's environmental performance and impact; and initiatives to help global communities through humanitarian efforts. As one example, Abbott improves access to medicines by investing heavily to discover and develop new medical technologies and by providing more than $300 million in product donations through patient assistance and humanitarian efforts throughout the world. Through various patient assistance programs, Abbott provided more than 200,000 patients with free and discounted medicine in the United States in 2005 alone.

In addition to being ranked on the DJSI, Abbott is also a member of EPA Climate Leaders, an industry/government partnership focused on a collaborative approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other climate change issues. To learn more about Abbott's sustainability initiatives and to read or download the company's 2005 global citizenship report, please visit www.abbott.com/citizenship.

About Abbott

Abbott is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals and medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics. The company employs more than 65,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries.

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