Abbott funds paediatric HIV/Aids clinic

Abbott has announced the Abbott Fund is to collaborate with the Baylor College of Medicine and the governments of the US and Tanzania and other partners to support the construction of a paediatric HIV/Aids clinic.

The project will be the first of its kind in Tanzania and will be situated in the Mbeya region of the country.

Abbott said this corporate responsibility initiative will boost access to health care for children with HIV and Aids.

In total, the Abbot Fund will commit over $2 million (1.1 million pounds) to the project, which will be run by the Baylor International Paediatric Aids Initiative (BIPAI) and be staffed by BIPAI doctors and the Paediatric Aids Corps.

Catherine V Babington, president of the Abbott Fund, said: “Building this clinic represents an important expansion in Abbott’s commitment to improving access to care for children in the developing world during the last decade.”

She added the project fulfils a vital need in Tanzania where the company has been improving health systems for individuals with HIV and other chronic health issues.

Last month, Abbott announced it had invested $12 million in product donations and grants during 2007 to broaden access to HIV and Aids treatments to children across the world.