Abbott Laboratories and the Abbott Laboratories Fund announced that programme results and key learning from the company's Global Care Initiatives would be highlighted in more than 30 presentations at the XV International AIDS Conference taking place this week in Bangkok.

Abbott Laboratories is investing $100 million over five years in the fight against HIV/AIDS through four programmes that address areas of critical need in developing countries: services to care for orphans and vulnerable children with Step Forward; the improvement of health care infrastructure with Tanzania Care; access to testing and treatment through Abbott Access to HIV Care; and the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV with the Determine HIV Testing Donation Programme.

"Through effective partnerships among government, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and industry, replicable models can be created that deliver results in fighting HIV/AIDS," said Reeta Roy, divisional vice president, Global Citizenship and Policy, Abbott Laboratories. "With the recent increase in international funding for HIV/AIDS initiatives in developing countries, there is a great need to identify programmes that have shown demonstrable results. We look forward to sharing the results and key learning from our programmes with the global HIV community," Reeta added.

Programme results to be discussed at the conference include: Reducing paediatric AIDS mortality by more than two-thirds (15 per cent to 3 per cent) in Constanta, Romania, through the care provided by a comprehensive paediatric HIV clinic funded by the Step Forward programme. This successful model is being replicated in other countries through the work of the Baylor International Paediatric AIDS Initiative.

Serving more than 140,000 orphans and vulnerable children through the Step Forward programme in 2003; programme results included creating lasting change in reducing stigma and providing support for children and families affected by HIV in India by working through existing community organizations, such as economic development groups.

Donating more than 1 million Determine HIV tests to PMTCT programmes in developing countries, Abbott recently extended its PMTCT donations to include testing of spouses and children of pregnant women who are found to be HIV positive through the programme.

"Working together with Abbott's Step Forward programme, we've been able to make a significant difference in the lives of hundreds of children in Romania through the creation of a state-of-the-art paediatric HIV/AIDS treatment centre," said Mark Kline, director of Baylor's International Paediatric AIDS Initiative. He added, "With Abbott's continued support, we're building on our successful Romanian model by establishing a coordinated network of paediatric HIV/AIDS centres in other countries, including Botswana, Mexico and Uganda, that will enhance the care of children with HIV/AIDS around the world."

Determine HIV Testing Donation Programme provides Determine HIV rapid tests free of charge to programmes for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV/AIDS in 69 countries, including all of Africa. Abbott partners with leading organizations working in PMTCT and cooperates with Boehringer Ingelheim, which provides free HIV treatment to prevent transmission of HIV from mother to child.