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Medtronic Responds to United Nations High-Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases

Following are statements from Herb Riband, Medtronic vice president of external affairs, and Dr. Jacob Gayle, vice president of Medtronic Foundation and Community Affairs, on the outcomes of the United Nations High-Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases (e.g. cardiovascular and lung disease, diabetes, cancer). Both Riband and Gayle attended the Sept. 19-20 meeting in New York.

“This event has been a tremendous advance for global health and economic development,” said Riband. “The spotlight is now focused on the world’s most deadly, debilitating and expensive diseases. And while there may be differing views on how we collectively tackle the challenges we face, there was consensus that progress requires innovation and collaborative action, dedicated resources and cooperation from all sectors of society. For Medtronic and the Medtronic Foundation, this work supports our shared goal of improving health and access to life-saving care and therapies for patients around the world."

“Given the complexity of the issue, we knew coming into this meeting that it would bring significant momentum to a long-term effort,” said Gayle. “It’s our hope that the global health community can come together to focus on strengthening overall health systems, especially in low- and middle-income countries, to better address noncommunicable diseases. This will require a sustained, multisectoral commitment, and increased resources at country levels to ensure proper prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care.”

As the world’s leading medical technology company, Medtronic is focused on supporting activities that develop and improve critical components of healthcare systems throughout the world in order to improve access to advanced care. In September 2010, the Medtronic Foundation provided a $1 million founding grant to the NCD Alliance, a coalition of nonprofit organizations that took a leadership role preparing evidence-based plans and recommendations for the U.N. High-Level Meeting. Overall, the Medtronic Foundation has dedicated $7.2 million to support international health programs specifically designed to address prevention, treatment and control of NCDs.

About the Medtronic Foundation

The Medtronic Foundation is committed to improving the lives of people around the world living with chronic disease. Its grant making is focused in three areas: health, education and community.

About Medtronic

Medtronic, Inc. (www.medtronic.com), headquartered in Minneapolis, is the global leader in medical technology – alleviating pain, restoring health, and extending life for millions of people worldwide.

Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Medtronic’s periodic reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.

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