Abbott announces new HIV philanthropy programme office

Abbott has announced that, through the Abbott Fund, it is to further extend its commitment to tackling HIV and Aids in Africa, with the opening of a new programme office in Tanzania.

This move follows recent grants from the fund of $9 million (4.55 million pounds) aimed at fighting the disease, bringing the total amount invested by the Abbott Fund in Tanzania to $50 million.

Since its inception, the Abbott Fund has served over 600,000 individuals through its HIV and Aids programmes.

Based in the capital Dar es Salaam, the new office is the first for the fund outside its headquarters of Chicago and will be led by vice-president Christy Wistar, with the aim of identifying and financially supporting novel methods of responding to the disease.

Ms Wistar said: “Being part of the community provides a fuller appreciation of the overwhelming burden HIV/Aids puts on the healthcare system.”

She added that the personal understanding gleaned through the office would help the fund develop solutions for real-life problems in Tanzania, dealing with concerns relating to inadequate transportation, food and electricity facilities.

Last month, Abbott reported that it had reached an agreement with the World Health Organisation regarding the widening of access to its HIV/Aids treatment (lopinavir/ritonavir) across the developing world.