Public-Private Partnerships With Unhealthy Commodity Industries: Are They Undermining Real Progress in Non-communicable Disease Prevention? Comment on "Competing Frames in Global Health Governance: An Analysis of Stakeholder Influence on the Political Declaration on Non-communicable Diseases".

Chiara Rinaldi

doi:10.34172/ijhpm.2021.118

Abstract

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) and whole-of-society approaches are increasingly common in public health promotion and non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention, despite a lack of evidence in favour of their effectiveness in improving health outcomes. While PPPs may have advantages, they also give industry actors more influence over the design and implementation of public health strategies and interventions. Partnering with unhealthy commodity industries in particular - including the alcohol and ultra-processed food and beverages industries - can pose significant risks to public health due to these industries' deep-rooted conflicts of interest. In this commentary, I reiterate Suzuki and colleagues' message about the importance of assessing and managing conflicts of interest before engaging with non-state actors through PPPs or other forms of engagement.

Highlights

The commercial determinants of health, or “factors that influence health which stem from the profit motive” (p. 687),[1] are a growing area of interest in public health research
Unhealthy commodity industries have a clear conflict of interest in non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention because of their financial interests in producing, marketing and selling products that contribute to the burden of NCDs.[3]
The issues raised by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) were less likely to be adopted than those raised by industry stakeholders and highincome countries

Summary

Introduction

The commercial determinants of health, or “factors that influence health which stem from the profit motive” (p. 687),[1] are a growing area of interest in public health research. The impact of unhealthy commodity industries – including the tobacco, alcohol and ultra-processed food and beverages industries – on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is of particular concern due to the ways in which those actors have been able to influence policy-making processes.

Results

Conclusion