LONDON, November 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

- Award Recognizes Long-Term Results of Partnership to Strengthen Tanzania's Health Care System

Scrip, a leading global pharmaceutical and biotech news organisation, honored Abbott and its philanthropic foundation, the Abbott Fund, with a 2011 Scrip Award for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at Scrip's seventh annual awards ceremony in London on Thursday evening.  The award was presented in recognition of the significant results achieved through a decade-long, public-private partnership with the Government of Tanzania to modernize the country's health system and address critical needs in the fight against HIV/AIDS and other life-long diseases.  

Unique Public-Private Partnership Highlights Social Innovation

"We're proud to receive this Scrip CSR Award on behalf of our Abbott Fund colleagues and the Government of Tanzania," said John B. Thomas, President, Abbott Fund.  "Over the past decade, we've combined our collective expertise and resources to fundamentally and sustainably upgrade the country's health care system.  This collaborative approach has supported nationwide improvements in addressing lifelong diseases, while also strengthening broader health care services provided to all Tanzanians."  

A key component of the programme is the involvement of highly specialised Abbott employee volunteers.  This includes lab technicians who have provided extensive training and mentoring for lab staff in Tanzania, as well as contributions from other experts working in construction, engineering, facility and equipment maintenance, health care management, information technology, security and waste management. To date, Abbott employees have contributed more than 10,000 hours of on-the-ground support for the initiative.  In addition, Abbott and the Abbott Fund have invested more than pounds Sterling 55 million (U.S. $90 million) in the Tanzania programme.

Decade-Long Partnership Provides Sustainable Improvements in Care

Over the past decade, Abbott, the Abbott Fund and the Government of Tanzania have modernised infrastructure, strengthened hospital management and systems, trained health workers, and expanded access to high-quality testing, treatment and care across the country.  Specific results include:

• A 2007 government assessment found that nearly one in three people on HIV treatment in Tanzania received care at more than 90 facilities that benefited from the programme;
• Modernised labs at all 23 regional-level hospitals, effectively upgrading lab services for the entire country;
• Built a four-story outpatient center that sees hundreds of patients a day;
• Constructed the country's first modern emergency center, providing life-saving services for 30,000 people last year;
• Conducted more than 19,000 health care worker trainings; and
• Provided support services for more than 150,000 children and families affected by HIV/AIDS.

Abbott Recognized With Scrip Awards in Recent Years

The Scrip Awards recognize excellence and achievement in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. The CSR Award follows on other Scrip Awards Abbott has received in recent years; Scrip honored Abbott as the Company of the Year and Management Team of the Year in 2010, and Scrip recognized Abbott's Chairman and CEO Miles D. White as Executive of the Year in 2009.  

Additional Recognition for Abbott's Partnership in Tanzania

The Scrip CSR Award builds on other recognition for the partnership in Tanzania. In 2009, Abbott was honored with an International Community Service Award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC) for the Tanzania initiative.  Abbott also received the Global Business Coalition (GBC) National Action Award, one of the most prominent international honors for businesses working to advance global health.  

About Abbott's Approach to Citizenship

Global citizenship is an integral part of Abbott's mission to improve people's lives, focused on four key areas:  innovating for the future, enhancing access to health care, protecting patients and consumers, and safeguarding the environment.  Working in partnership with others, Abbott leverages its core business expertise and resources to create sustainable solutions in countries around the world.

Abbott was included on the prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes for the seventh consecutive year in 2011 in recognition of continued global leadership in economic, environmental and social performance.  Abbott also ranked No. 28 on Barron's magazine 2011 ranking of the world's most respected companies, and has been included on the 100 Best Corporate Citizens list compiled by Corporate Responsibility magazine for two consecutive years.

To learn more about Abbott's sustainability initiatives and to read or download the company's 2010 global citizenship report, please visit http://www.abbott.com/citizenship.

About Abbott and the Abbott Fund

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 nearly 90,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries.  Abbott's news releases and other information are available on the company's website at http://www.abbott.com.

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

SOURCE Abbott