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Abbott Highlights Strong Corporate Responsibility Performance With Release of 2008 Global Citizenship Report

Posted on: Monday, 27 April 2009, 12:40 CDT

Company's Report Outlines Strategic Citizenship Priorities: Innovating for the Future, Enhancing Access, Safeguarding the Environment and Protecting Patients and Consumers

ABBOTT PARK, Ill., April 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Abbott today announced the release of its 2008 Global Citizenship Report entitled, "Advancing Innovation." The report provides an update on Abbott's progress and results in 2008 in delivering on the company's mission to improve people's lives around the world, focused on four key areas: innovating for the future, enhancing access, safeguarding the environment, and protecting patients and consumers.

"We appreciate this opportunity to share news of our continued progress in addressing the most important impacts that our company makes in our world," said Miles D. White, chairman and chief executive officer, Abbott. "These are the areas in which our business has the greatest effects on society and the environment, and which offer us the greatest opportunity to make a difference in the challenges facing our world today."

Key highlights of Abbott's citizenship work in 2008 include:

• Innovating for the Future - Abbott invested $2.7 billion in research and development, helping its more than 7,000 scientists to bring forward nine significant new product approvals across all of its businesses, including medical products, nutritionals and pharmaceuticals.
• Enhancing Access - As part of its core business strategy and in partnership with others, Abbott made significant progress in helping people around the world to gain access to medicine and health care. A few examples of this work: Abbott provided more than 155,000 patients with free medicines, medical nutrition products and diabetes care products; donated 3.1 million rapid HIV tests; conducted more than 17,000 training sessions for health care workers; and supported 3,366 medical missions.
• Safeguarding the Environment - Abbott is taking innovative approaches to addressing climate change, conserving water and limiting the impact of its products on the environment. Key results include reducing CO2 emissions by 15 percent and water use by 15 percent, normalized for sales. Abbott also made significant new investments in renewable energy sources, including installing a solar power system at an Abbott plant in Italy, and was honored for environmentally responsible building practices at a new facility in Singapore.
• Protecting Patients and Consumers - Maintaining the integrity of its products and the trust of patients and consumers are central tenets of Abbott's business, and the key focus of our work with more than 20,000 suppliers around the world that provide an estimated $13.5 billion in goods and services. Abbott seeks suppliers that share its commitment to product safety and quality as well as social responsibility, and regularly reviews and audits suppliers on practices ranging from environment, health and safety to child-labor practices.

Recent External Recognition of Abbott's Citizenship Efforts

• Abbott was included on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and North America Index for the fourth consecutive year in 2008 in recognition of continued global leadership in economic, environmental and social performance.
• Abbott ranked eighth overall in the global "100 Best Corporate Citizens List 2008" compiled by Corporate Responsibility Officer magazine.
• Abbott Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Miles D. White received the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship in 2008, which is presented to executives who have demonstrated concern for social responsibility through their actions and business practices.

About Abbott's 2008 Global Citizenship Report

Abbott's full report of its 2008 Global Citizenship approach and performance is available online at http://www.abbott.com/citizenship, including a copy of the company's Global Reporting Initiative G3 index. In order to reduce its environmental impact, Abbott produces a shortened printed Global Citizenship Summary Report, which provides an overview of the full information available on Abbott's Web site. The abbreviated print version can be downloaded from the Web site.

About Abbott

Abbott 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 72,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries. Abbott's news releases and other information are available on the company's Web site at www.abbott.com.

SOURCE Abbott

Source: PR Newswire

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