Innovative diagnostic tools ease the burden on our most valuable assets, health professionals

As the world continues to face the biggest health challenge we have seen in our lifetime, Abbott commends all our colleagues in laboratories and clinical settings who persist in delivering patient care under such difficult circumstances.

Following pandemic restrictions, the suspension and disruption of healthcare services, and the ongoing resourcing impacts, we are yet to regain full equilibrium across the diagnostic sector, and in healthcare at large. They say necessity is the mother of invention, and at Abbott our focus continues to be on recovery from the significant challenges caused by the pandemic, and as part of this, driving the next wave of innovation.

Advances in technology, informatics and models of care are increasingly vital to support our pressured health professionals, and to ease the burden on hospitals and health systems.

Point of care testing, rapid tests and clinical decision support are just some of the tools available to support swift detection of health concerns and enable faster treatment for patients.

In the Southern Hemisphere, the winter respiratory viruses combined with COVID, continue to test our health systems. However, we cannot afford to lose sight of other infectious diseases where such excellent progress has been made, hepatitis C being a great example of where we are close to elimination.  On July 28th we recognised World Hepatitis Day, it is timely to consider there is still work to be done to achieve the aggressive goal of elimination of hepatitis C by 2030.  Working with our partners to expand the use of testing technologies that help to tackle infectious diseases, enabling effective treatment and limiting transmission, is an important part of how we can support patients, physicians, and the health system.

As a community we need a preventative and proactive approach to healthcare now more than ever and Abbott is committed to the ongoing development of tools to enable that.

Thank you to all who continue to support our healthcare system in Australia and New Zealand.  Pathology is the engine room of healthcare, and your actions are making a real difference as we work together to achieve measurably better healthcare performance.