Health

Substance use disorders. Mental illness. Post-traumatic stress disorder. Opioid misuse. Suicide. Critical shortages of behavioral health care staff. The U.S. faces an unprecedented behavioral health crisis among youth and adults. As a trusted partner to the federal, state, and local sectors, Abt informs public policy on behavioral health through a comprehensive suite of approaches. We use systems change thinking, evaluation design and implementation, scientific evidence, health communications, capacity-building, and collaboration to heal the whole person. We also promote behavioral health equity by addressing social determinants of health, including insurance access, stable employment, stable housing, education, and culturally sensitive care. Our experts bring their backgrounds in social work, clinical psychology, public health, and sociology to offer integrated prevention, treatment, and intervention. 

Diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other chronic, non-communicable diseases represent 80% of premature deaths worldwide and place substantial economic burdens on our societies. Abt Global supports early detection, prevention, and treatment of these widespread conditions, to mitigating their impact on quality of life and healthcare expenses. We collaborate with clients like the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to inform policy and program decisions through rigorous studies and evaluations. Our mixed methods approach for data collection and strategic communications expertise inform decisions to make healthcare systems more equitable and resilient.

Abt Global partners with governments, donors, and communities around the world in their efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to global health security threats. Our multi-sectoral approach helps countries comply with International Health Regulations by addressing weaknesses identified through Joint External Evaluation (JEE) and State Parties Self-Assessment (SPAR) tools. Abt brings together in-country public and private sector expertise on zoonotic diseases and environmental health across all functions of the health system. With these actors, we co-develop sustainable approaches that strengthen global health security, including disease surveillance. We build the capacity, relationships, and trust required to identify risks early and to mount timely and effective responses.

As demographics change and healthcare systems merge and consolidate, the U.S. needs an agile workforce undergirded by responsive and innovative healthcare policies to improve health outcomes, equity, and quality. Abt’s policy and workforce experts help clients and partners comprehensively plan for—and solve—today’s most urgent healthcare priorities, including soaring costs, complex health conditions, and health-related social needs. Our research, data analysis, and technical assistance guide solutions like staffing models, quality indicators for long-term care facilities, and alternative payment models. We center equity in this work to address and remedy critical health services gaps.

As health systems evolve worldwide, Abt is a trusted partner to governments, donors, and communities, with unmatched expertise in health policy, governance, financing, workforce development, capacity building, and digital and data solutions. We catalyze change by optimizing resources and our network of 1,000+ health systems experts to deliver agile solutions for urgent problems while strengthening complex systems for the future. We work in mixed health systems worldwide to bring transformative change in quality improvement, regulatory processes, inclusive policies, and innovative financial protection mechanisms. We emphasize community and local leadership in solutions we co-design and implement, recognizing their capacity to drive meaningful change.

Understanding the intricate dynamics of pathogens and vectors is crucial to furthering effective disease research. Infectious and vector-borne diseases like COVID-19, influenza, malaria, dengue, tuberculosis, and HIV present daily challenges to health systems and community resilience around the world. Abt Global counters these threats to our shared global health security through evidence-based prevention and containment, groundbreaking disease detection and surveillance, and total health-system surge and recovery response stewarded by local government and community leaders. Through a One Health approach, we aim to help our partners build equitable, resilient, secure, and sustainable health systems that will allow their communities to thrive for generations.

As a longtime partner of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), we advance health equity, expand access to high-quality, affordable healthcare, test innovation in value-based, person-centered care, and improve health outcomes for people across the lifespan. Our multidisciplinary teams provide rigorous research, economic analyses, clinical insight, digital expertise, and holistic approaches to Medicaid, Medicare, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). We specialize in examining the interconnected social-related issues that shape health outcomes and support CMS’s transformational mission: to deliver high-quality care, innovate and manage healthcare dollars wisely, and achieve optimal health outcomes for vulnerable Americans.

Substance use disorders (SUDs) involving opioids, fentanyl, and other controlled substances have harmed individuals, families, and communities in every corner of the U.S. Abt Global champions a data-backed, person-centered approach to confronting the global opioid and substance use crisis. Our interdisciplinary teams are dedicated to addressing SUDs and advancing evidence-based approaches for the entire spectrum of care, from prevention to long-term recovery support. Through more than 40 recent projects, we're addressing the opioid epidemic's root causes, evaluating interventions to reduce harm, and supporting improved clinical care. We collaborate with federal agencies, healthcare systems, and community service providers nationwide to evaluate effectiveness, enhance chronic pain care, and support the implementation of employment services for people with SUD.  Our goals: Reduce overdose deaths and build equitable, sustainable, and humane support systems for people impacted by SUDs.

To meet priority health goals, the private sector offers valuable resources such as skilled health workers, financing, and infrastructure to deliver services. Abt draws on our strong relationships with local governments around the world and deep understanding of the intricacies of the private health sector to achieve positive health outcomes. We identify opportunities for integrating the private health sector into the total health system and then facilitate strategic partnerships that build on each sector’s comparative strengths and resources.  We also introduce innovative tools and solutions; improve the quality, sustainability, and impact of public health interventions; and ensure appropriate government oversight and stewardship.

Abt Global strives to disrupt the root causes of maternal, neonatal, and child mortality and morbidity in the U.S. and around the world. We support comprehensive maternal, child, and reproductive health programs that strengthen health policy and systems, improve access to and quality of essential services, close knowledge gaps, and foster behavior change. Our cross-sectoral approach includes innovative and evidence-based interventions and rigorous evaluation to advance delivery of cost-effective, high-quality services. Our strong network of public and private partners and payers helps us reduce inequities, promote meaningful change, and ensure healthier futures for millions of mothers and babies.