MAKING LIFE BETTER AROUND THE WORLD

During the holiday season, many people across countries and cultures take time to give back – helping people down the street and on the other side of the world to live better, fuller lives. Abbott shares this commitment to making a difference in local and global communities, and embraces this mission year-round.

Through actions big and small, in countries around the world, Abbott works to help people build better lives and stronger communities, through our own operations and in partnership with others.

We call this important work finding the Upside – how our company realizes its potential by helping others realize theirs. The Upside reflects both our optimistic view of what's possible, and our relentless pursuit of achieving this potential.

To share updates on our progress, Abbott is releasing its Global Citizenship Highlights update, a brief overview of the company's efforts to build a more responsible, sustainable and inclusive business.

Abbott is improving lives through our business operations, including a new program that aims to help dairy farmers expand production and grow their incomes.

The Highlights update also introduces Abbott's new global citizenship strategy, focused on delivering results in three strategic areas where our core business can have a significant impact on society: delivering product excellence, improving access and safeguarding the environment. In each of these areas, Abbott is finding the Upside – improving people's lives and strengthening communities in many ways. A few examples:

• We set a goal to source up to 80 percent of ingredients from local suppliers for all products made at our new nutrition manufacturing plant in Gujarat, India. We're also developing a program to provide local dairy farmers with the infrastructure and training they need to increase their incomes, while expanding the supply of high-quality milk needed for our new plant.
• With the help of more than 3,500 Abbott scientists and other expert volunteers, Abbott's Family Science programs have introduced the wonders of science and engineering to more than 100,000 children and their parents.
• As part of our comprehensive 2020 environmental goals, we're working to reduce our water intake by 30 percent, and we’re also helping communities to save water. One example: near our manufacturing plant in Arizona, we’ve helped the local community save more than 7.8 million gallons of water.

To download Abbott's Global Citizenship Highlights PDF, click here.

Abbott's Highlights update builds on the company's full 2013 Global Citizenship Report, which was released earlier this year. In our 16th year of sustainability reporting, Abbott's report provides a comprehensive review of the company’s progress and results. To download the 2013 report, as well as all of Abbott's citizenship reports, click here.

For more examples of how Abbott is unlocking the power of health to build a healthier, thriving society, please visit our global citizenship website: www.abbott.com/citizenship.