Global Citizenship

Global Community

• Abbott and Naia, a daycare center for children ages 1-17 located close to the Abbott São Paulo, Brazil, site, collaborate on several programs to improve the quality of services provided to the approximately 200 children. Efforts include remodeling classrooms, educating teachers on health care issues and enabling the children to accompany Abbott employees to work to inspire future careers.

Effective Philanthropy

Whenever possible, we work to facilitate access by expanding our core businesses in pharmaceuticals, nutritionals, medical devices and diagnostics – developing new products and services to address unmet health care needs. We favor market-based solutions to health care challenges because they tend to be more sustainable over the long term.

However, when market-based solutions are impractical or insufficient, we facilitate access through our philanthropy – by donating health care products and services, by facilitating patient assistance and by supporting a wide array of civil society organizations engaged in the direct delivery of health care services. Often, we find we can most effectively promote health care access by collaborating in public-private partnerships with governments, universities, research centers, health care companies, hospitals, clinics and related institutions.

Community Initiatives

In communities large and small, Abbott seeks to make a significant and long-lasting difference in the quality of people’s lives. Recognizing that we cannot do this work alone, we support, encourage and partner with a wide array of credible and effective community-based organizations. We ask all our employees and affiliates to join in the effort.

Our community initiatives focus on three areas where we can best apply our knowledge, expertise and resources:

• Advancing community health care and wellness.
• Lending medical expertise and promoting scientific knowledge.
• Strengthening community vitality.

Community Health Care

The United Nations estimates that a third of the world’s population lacks access to essential health services. Abbott addresses this challenge in a variety of ways, viewing our philanthropy as a complement to achieving our company’s Promise of “Turning Science into Caring.” In 2009, Abbott and the Abbott Fund invested more than $580 million to support capacity-building partnerships, product donations and patient assistance programs. For example, we provide financial grants, product donations and volunteer support to Feeding America’s BackPack program to feed chronically hungry children.

The extensive list of initiatives we support is available on this Web site and www.abbottfund.org. In addition, Abbott employees contribute their time and expertise to help improve the quality of life in the communities where they live and work.

We share our knowledge and expertise, donate products and provide financial support to address unmet needs in four strategic areas:

Improving Access to Health Care – Working in partnership with not-for-profit organizations, we seek to provide innovative solutions to the health care challenges confronted by disadvantaged populations worldwide, giving special consideration to programs addressing critical unmet health care needs.

Science and Medical Innovation – We support new approaches to fostering a better understanding of science and the creation of innovative solutions to global health care challenges.

Global AIDS Care – We support programs that expand access to testing, treatment and care for people impacted by HIV/AIDS in the developing world. Key 2009 updates on our philanthropy in the areas of HIV/AIDS and access to health care are featured in the Enhancing Access to Health Care section of this site.

Community Vitality – Through our community-oriented programs, we strive to serve as an effective philanthropic partner to make a measurable difference in communities where Abbott has a presence worldwide.

Please visit www.abbottfund.org for information on funding guidelines or to apply for a grant. The Abbott Fund develops targeted initiatives and invites select organizations to apply online for support for those programs.