Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria (GBC) Honors Abbott and Abbott Fund for Efforts to Fight HIV/AIDS in Tanzania

Abbott and Abbott Fund Receive Prestigious Business Excellence Award for Work to Strengthen Health Care Systems and Train Health Workers to Help Address HIV/AIDS and Other Diseases

Abbott Park, Illinois and New York,— Tonight at its annual gala, the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GBC) will honor Abbott and Abbott Fund for outstanding results in fighting HIV/AIDS in Tanzania. Abbott will be presented with the GBC “Award for Business Excellence on HIV/AIDS through National Action” in recognition of the company’s seven-year, $50+ million public-private partnership with the Government of Tanzania to strengthen the country’s health care system and train health workers to meet the needs of people living with HIV and other chronic diseases.

The GBC event pays tribute to the important role of business in addressing HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, and recognizes outstanding contributions from businesses and business leaders throughout the world.

“Abbott and Abbott Fund have set new standards in the corporate fight against HIV/AIDS, and their important work to improve the health care system in Tanzania will serve as a superlative model for other businesses around the world to follow,” said GBC President Ambassador Richard Holbrooke. “The business community plays a vital role in fighting these epidemics. Abbott and Abbott Fund have demonstrated that the private sector can truly make a positive difference in this global effort.”

“The global business community is making a powerful contribution to the fight against HIV/AIDS by applying its expertise and resources in partnership with governments and NGOs,” said Miles D. White, chairman and chief executive officer, Abbott. “Over the past seven years, we’ve worked closely with the Government of Tanzania to strengthen the country’s health system to advance HIV testing and treatment. Our partnership is improving the lives of Tanzanians today and for generations to come.”

The GBC award recognizes Abbott Fund’s outstanding efforts and more importantly, significant results in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Abbott Fund is building capacity at more than 90 health centers throughout Tanzania, bringing HIV services into some remote regions for the first time. Abbott Fund also built a new outpatient center and clinical laboratory at the country’s leading reference hospital, trained thousands of health care workers, and provided HIV counseling and testing for more than 150,000 people.

“The Government of Tanzania has made a significant commitment to address HIV/AIDS, and Abbott has been a close partner, helping us to produce real results for the people of Tanzania,” said David Mwakyusa, Tanzania’s Minister of Health and Social Welfare. “This partnership provides a strong model for how the private sector can work with government to fight HIV/AIDS.”

Working side by side with their Tanzanian colleagues, Abbott employee volunteers provide training and technical support in the areas of construction, engineering, infection control, information technology, laboratory management, security and waste management. Abbott Fund recently opened a new program office in Tanzania to manage its extensive HIV/AIDS philanthropic efforts and partnerships in the country. Additionally, Abbott has donated laboratory equipment to upgrade diagnostic testing and disease monitoring, and Abbott-supported field service engineers maintain donated Abbott equipment across the country to ensure uninterrupted lab services are available.