Global Citizenship

Good corporate citizenship is at the core of our business strategy to develop, manufacture and market innovative products that answer critical health needs. It is reflected in how we expand access to health care, strengthen local communities and reduce the environmental impact of our operations.

Our efforts have earned Abbott inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index — the leading global benchmark of best-in-class economic, environmental and social performance — for five consecutive years.

As a leader in citizenship, we must continuously reassess our responsibilities and opportunities to improve people’s lives. In 2009, Abbott continued to make progress in advancing citizenship in four key areas.

Innovating for the future

In 2009, Abbott renewed its focus on its primary citizenship responsibility: advancing medical innovation to transform people’s health around the world. We strengthened our commitment to addressing unmet health needs by establishing an executive council on neglected diseases to apply the expertise of our scientists to help advance new treatments for diseases like malaria and tuberculosis. We also partnered with the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) to identify existing molecular compounds in Abbott’s research library that may offer promise in addressing neglected diseases.

Improving access

A primary focus for our business is ensuring that people in need have access to our health care products. We work with governments in less developed and middle-income countries to make our medicines available at fair, sustainable prices. Additionally, in 2009, Abbott and the Abbott Fund invested more than $580 million in capacity-building partnerships, product donations and patient assistance programs.

Protecting patients and consumers

Our approach is to ensure quality and safety across the full spectrum of research, development, manufacturing and use of our products. To help protect and inform patients, we have launched educational websites in many countries, providing treatment and disease-related information, responding to questions and connecting patients with each other.

Safeguarding the environment

Abbott also is helping to address the global challenges of climate change and water scarcity. During 2009, we reduced carbon dioxide emissions in our manufacturing operations by 5 percent from our 2008 levels through an ongoing energy efficiency improvement program. By increasing our energy efficiency and using cleaner fuels, Abbott reduced its use of oil and coal by 35 percent in recent years. Abbott also is saving a billion gallons of water annually by reducing water use throughout our production processes.

These are just a few examples of how Abbott is redefining responsibility across our diverse mix of businesses and geographies. By strengthening the sustainability of our day-to-day operations and using our expertise to advance global health care, we are working to meet the needs of both current and future stakeholders.

For a copy of our full Global Citizenship Report, please visit www.abbott.com/citizenship.

We apply our scientific expertise to (top) educate and inspire students, (middle) study potential treatments for neglected diseases, and (bottom) help communities conserve and protect water.