Abbott stands with the international community condemning the war in Ukraine, mourning the horrible human suffering and calling for peace and stability for Ukraine and its people.
Our first priority is for the safety and wellbeing of the hundreds of employees we have in Ukraine. We are in regular contact with our colleagues in Ukraine, and thankfully they are all accounted for at this time.
In addition to the $2 million monetary donation to humanitarian partner organizations we announced on March 4, Abbott has begun donating health care products in Ukraine to support the Ukrainian people and in Poland to support Ukrainian refugees. We’ve donated medicines and diabetes care products through relief partners and through the Ukrainian Ministry of Health. We continue to evaluate the on-the-ground needs and will do what we can to support the health of Ukrainians, which has been unbearably impacted by violence.
As a healthcare company we have an important purpose, which is to preserve and restore health and save lives. We do this in more than 160 countries. Healthcare products including food, medicine and medical products are generally exempt from sanctions for humanitarian reasons. In Russia, where Abbott provides healthcare products including life-sustaining medicines for cancer and organ function, we are suspending non-essential business activity in the country, including all new investments, business development and advertising.
We will continue to closely monitor and assess this evolving crisis.
