Practices of Trans-National Corporations: The Need to Change Global Economic and Political Norms; Comment on "National Public Health Surveillance of Corporations in Key Unhealthy Commodity Industries – A Scoping Review and Framework Synthesis"

Abstract

Trans-national corporations (TNCs) are recognised as having an adverse impact on public health through the marketing and sale of unhealthy products. In addition to this some of their practices affect health, including taxation avoidance, lobbying politicians to gain favourable legislative and regulatory environments for their operations, and failure to abide by occupational health and safety standards. We argue that while considering the individual practices of commercial actors is crucial the true public health harms are only evident when the synergistic impacts of the practices are considered. We also note that the practices are supported by a global economic and political system which operates in the favour of commercial actors rather than the health of people and the planet. Consequently there needs to be a norm change by which norms and power are shifted away from commercial interests and externalities of commercial practices are no longer outsourced to the public purse.