For almost 20 years, the global healthcare company Abbott and its foundation the Abbott Fund have partnered with CARE to support disaster relief efforts around the world immediately following an emergency. Since 2006, we have reached millions of people, through 18 projects across 17 countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and Europe. Over the decades, our work has tackled complex health issues, including communicable diseases such as COVID-19 and avian flu; chronic diseases (diabetes and hypertension); and water, sanitation, and hygiene. Abbott is a founding and current member of CARE’s Corporate Council and a regular thought leadership partner on global stages.
Abbott and Abbott Fund partnered with CARE in the Philippines to launch the Future Well in Crisis program (2019-2023) to improve health equity through an innovative model to prevent, control, and treat chronic diseases (diabetes and hypertension) in areas affected by disasters, conflict and other humanitarian challenges. Aligning with CARE’s Right to Health strategy, Abbott’s Future Well in Crisis program focused on screening, health education and referral services, and building local capacity to deliver health services in displaced communities. The program trained 580 community health workers – a global average of 70% of whom are women – and reached over 22,000 people, resulting in decreased rates of cardiovascular events and glucose levels and increased NCD service utilization.
“Our partnership with CARE sits at the intersection of two immense issues – chronic disease and humanitarian crises,” said Melissa Brotz, President, Abbott Fund, and Vice President of Global Marketing and External Affairs, Abbott. “From the Abbott side, we knew we could build on our expertise supporting disaster relief efforts and treating chronic disease. And CARE is the perfect partner, with expertise in meeting needs in challenging settings, strengthening systems and empowering women and communities.”