Building Infrastructure
In an effort to attract young people to the clinical laboratory profession, Labs Are Vital™, a program sponsored by Abbott, has tapped into Facebook, a popular social networking Web site, to reach out to more than four million students with an interest in life sciences.
Today, as a result of a longstanding partnership between the Abbott Fund and the Government of Tanzania, one in three patients on the national HIV treatment program receives healthcare services from a hospital or clinic that has benefited from The Abbott Fund support. While much progress has been made, much work remains ahead. Many patients must travel hundreds of kilometers for an HIV/AIDS test – and travel the same journey days or weeks later to retrieve the results.
We expanded our commitment to strengthen the health system in Tanzania. The Abbott Fund upgraded a laboratory at Mt. Meru Hospital, tripling its capacity. We donated one million rapid HIV tests to support the country's national HIV testing program. Over the coming years, we will work with the government to modernize the country's 23 regional laboratories. These laboratories provide testing services crucial for diagnosis, prevention, treatment and ongoing monitoring of HIV/AIDS, as well as diabetes, heart disease and many other conditions.
"Improving the health and health care of our people is a national priority and must involve NGOs, the private sector and international organizations," said David Mwakyusa, Tanzania's Minister of Health and Social Welfare. "With these new programs and ongoing The Abbott Fund support, we are improving our ability to provide basic health care for people in every town and village across the country."
Supporting Laboratories in the U.S.
Although they rarely meet the patients who depend on their care, clinical laboratory professionals are indispensable partners in the delivery of health care. It is estimated that laboratory services drive 60 to 80 percent of clinical decisions, from diagnosis through therapy and prognosis, while comprising less than five percent of a typical hospital budget. When cervical cancer is detected in its early stages through laboratory tests, for instance, the cost to treat it is some $16,000 less per patient than treating the disease in its later stages – not to mention the pain and anguish averted by early detection.
In 2007, we launched "Labs Are Vital," a cross-industry initiative in the U.S. designed to improve clinical and economic outcomes for patients by raising awareness of the lifesaving work clinical laboratory professionals provide in diagnosing diseases and improving health outcomes. Program components include the development of educational materials targeting hospital executives and other leaders in the health care community. "Labs are Vital" is also focused on finding solutions to the critical workforce shortage faced by the nation's clinical laboratories. Statistics show that there are as many as 40,000 unfilled clinical laboratory jobs across the United States. To fill vacant positions, some 13,800 medical laboratory professionals will be needed every year through 2012, while fewer than 5,000 are graduating from training programs each year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
