Abbott and its philanthropic foundation the Abbott Fund were honored with the 2009 Corporate Citizenship Award for International Community Service at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC)'s 10th annual awards dinner. Abbott was recognized for its work to help strengthen Tanzania's health system to expand access to care for people across the country. The International Community Service Award is given to a company that exemplifies the ideals of corporate citizenship through an initiative outside the U.S. that promotes better corporate-community relations and contributes to the positive development of the host country.

"Abbott and the Abbott Fund are proud to accept this Corporate Citizenship Award for our work to develop long-term, sustainable solutions to improve access to health care in Tanzania," said Catherine Babington, president, the Abbott Fund, who accepted the award on Abbott's behalf at the event. "This program is an example of how Abbott is applying its expertise and investing resources to build healthier communities in countries around the world."

Since 2001, the Abbott Fund has invested more than $60 million to modernize treatment centers and laboratories, train health workers and expand access to testing and treatment in Tanzania. Abbott employee volunteers provide training and technical support in the areas of laboratory management, engineering, infection control, information technology, construction, security and waste management. Abbott also has donated laboratory equipment to upgrade diagnostic testing and disease monitoring, and Abbott-supported field service engineers maintain donated Abbott equipment across the country to ensure uninterrupted lab services are available.

Expanding Access to Health Care in Tanzania
Current Abbott Fund activities include improving laboratory services on a national scale by modernizing all 23 regional-level hospital laboratories in Tanzania. Nearly half of the labs have already been built or renovated, with the full program anticipated to be completed by the end of 2010. Additional results to date include:

• Strengthened facilities and training at more than 90 sites throughout the country. Today, one in three people with HIV taking antiretroviral therapy receive services at a facility that has benefited from Abbott Fund support.


• Provided HIV counseling and testing for more than 300,000 people, and donated 1 million rapid HIV tests to the Tanzanian national HIV testing initiative.


• Helped more than 150,000 children and families by providing access to health services, education and training, and pioneering legal protection for orphans and widows affected by HIV/AIDS.


• Conducted more than 15,000 health care worker trainings.


• Built a new outpatient center that serves approximately 1,000 patients each day, and renovated, automated and computerized the central pathology laboratory at Muhimbili National Hospital.


• Modernized the Emergency Medical Department (EMD) at Muhimbili National Hospital to meet international standards, including equipment, training and mentoring of staff. The EMD also will host the first specialized Emergency Care residency program in Tanzania.

The Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC) is the U.S. Chamber's resource and voice for businesses' social and philanthropic interests. Its mission is to advance the positive role of business in society. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

About Abbott and the Abbott Fund
The Abbott Fund is a philanthropic foundation established by Abbott in 1951. The Abbott Fund's mission is to create healthier global communities by investing in creative ideas that promote science, expand access to health care and strengthen communities worldwide. For more information, visit www.abbottfund.org.

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 72,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries. Abbott's news releases and other information are available on the company's Web site at www.abbott.com.

Abbott

Abbott

About Abbott and the Abbott Fund

The Abbott Fund is a philanthropic foundation established by Abbott in 1951. The Abbott Fund's mission is to create healthier global communities by investing in creative ideas that promote science, expand access to health care and strengthen communities worldwide. For more information, visit www.abbottfund.org.

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 nearly 90,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries. Abbott's news releases and other information are available on the company's website at www.abbott.com.

More from Abbott