The global health care company Abbott today released its 2011 Global Citizenship report. The content-rich online report features videos, photos and examples of how Abbott continues to redefine corporate and social responsibility across its four citizenship priorities: Innovating for the Future, Enhancing Access, Supporting Patients and Consumers, and Safeguarding the Environment.

Abbott’s citizenship efforts are focused on applying the company’s scientific and management expertise to solve critical unmet needs in areas that directly align with our business.  By leveraging its core capabilities, Abbott is making a long-term sustainable impact in improving people’s lives in countries around the world. Key highlights include:

• Innovating for the Future: Abbott invested more than $4.1 billion in research and development in 2011, and also initiated a scientific partnership with the non-profit Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) to advance R&D and formulation work to address neglected tropical diseases.  A new video captures both the scientific challenges and the new ways that Abbott and DNDi are combining their expertise to deliver new answers – click here to find out more.
  
  
• Enhancing Access: Helping people around the world gain access to health care innovation is a key focus of Abbott’s core business, and our citizenship partnerships. In 2011, Abbott and its foundation the Abbott Fund invested $730 million to expand access to care and advance innovation.  See key examples of Abbott scientists and other experts working through partnerships with PATH in India and Partners In Health in Haiti to combat malnutrition and advance economic development.
  
  
• Supporting Patients and Consumers: Abbott’s responsibility efforts begin with a strong focus on ensuring product quality and safety for the patients and customers we serve.  Beyond our products, we also partner with patient organizations, governments and other stakeholders, listening to understand their challenges, and working together to find answers.  See videos and examples here.

• Safeguarding the Environment: Abbott met its multi-year environmental goals to reduce emissions, water use and waste ahead of schedule in 2011.  See an example of this work through a video of an Abbott facility in Ireland that is conserving water and energy throughout site operations.

"We advanced efforts to research and provide treatments for neglected tropical diseases, used our nutrition expertise to advance food fortification programs in developing countries and expanded our support for patient education groups, among numerous other partnerships," said Miles D. White, chairman and chief executive officer, Abbott. "These and other initiatives allow us to serve more people in more places than ever before."

 Visit Abbott’s Global Citizenship site to see the company’s complete 2011 Report.  You also can download a brief summary report of 2011 Highlights, or order a print copy by sending an email to globalcitizenship@abbott.com.

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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.

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