Press Release

Abbott and Abbott Fund Expand Commitment to Improve Maternal and Child Health in Afghanistan

Company Announces $2.5 Million for Expanded Partnership with Direct Relief International and the Afghan Institute of Learning to Benefit More Than 140,000 Women and Children

 

October 10, 2008

Abbott Park, Illinois — Abbott (NYSE: ABT), the global health care company, has committed $2.5 million in funding and product donations over the next year to improve maternal and child health in Afghanistan, as part of the company's innovative partnership with Direct Relief International and the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL). The expanded partnership will provide health education and midwife training, to help reverse the alarming maternal mortality ratio and increase the survival and overall health of infants and children in Afghanistan.

"With only 14 percent of births attended by a skilled health care worker, Afghanistan has the second-highest maternal mortality ratio in the world," said Katherine Pickus, senior director, Global Citizenship and Policy, Abbott.  "Every day, 70 pregnant Afghan women die, often during childbirth."

Through Abbott Fund's support, AIL will offer an intensive 18-month health education and midwifery course to Afghan women who will then provide urgently needed health care and health education to women throughout the country. It is estimated that one trained midwife can serve about 11,000 patients each year.

Additionally, Abbott's commitment will help AIL conduct workshops for an estimated 300 women in Kabul, Herat and Bamiyan Provinces, providing education on general health care, hygiene practices, child birth and breastfeeding. Overall, it is estimated that more than 140,000 lives will be positively affected by this innovative effort. Since the partnership began three years ago, more than 300,000 women and children have benefited from the program's healthcare and education services.

"Our goal is to build a foundation for quality education and health for years to come," said Sakena Yacoobi, executive director, AIL. "With Abbott Fund's support, we can provide comprehensive education and health services to Afghan women and children, so that they can support and take care of themselves and their communities."

Afghanistan has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world; one child out of every four does not survive his or her fifth birthday. There is also a severe shortage of female medical professionals in a culture where women are often unable or uncomfortable seeking medical attention from male physicians.

"At Abbott, we focus on finding sustainable solutions to make a lasting impact on people's lives," said Pickus. "By building off the results from previous years, and continuing our work with Direct Relief and the Afghan Institute of Learning, we are able to achieve a multiplier effect that will greatly improve the lives of thousands of Afghan women and children."

Founded in 1995 by Nobel Prize nominee Sakena Yacoobi, a longtime advocate for women's rights in Afghanistan, AIL helps women and children access education and health services. The organization serves 350,000 women and children annually, and it employs approximately 415 Afghans, more than 70 percent of whom are women. Since Abbott first partnered with Direct Relief in 2005, Abbott Fund has given AIL more than $4 million in grants and product donations, including rehydration solutions, antibiotics, multivitamins and nutritional supplements.

About Direct Relief International

Founded in 1948, Direct Relief International is a Santa Barbara-based nonprofit organization focused on improving the quality of life by bringing critically needed medicines and supplies to local healthcare providers worldwide. Direct Relief works in 59 countries and has delivered more than $1 billion in privately funded humanitarian medical aid to health professionals serving impoverished communities since 2000. Direct Relief is one of two charities ranked by Forbes that has received a perfect fundraising efficiency score for five consecutive years and is ranked by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as California's largest international nonprofit organization based on private support. For more information, please visit www.DirectRelief.org.

About the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL)

The Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) is an Afghan women's non-governmental organization (NGO) which was founded in 1995 by Professor Sakena Yacoobi to help address the problem of poor access for women and children to education and health services, their subsequent inability to support their lives, and the impact of this lack of education and health on Afghan society. AIL is an organization, run by Afghan women, that plays a major part in reconstructing education and health systems capable of reaching the women and children of Afghanistan -- whether in refugee camps or still in their homes.

About Abbott and Abbott Fund

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

Abbott (NYSE: ABT) 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 68,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries.

 

International Media: Kurt Ebenhoch

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