The private sector has a great influence on health through its products and practices. Business actors influence health in varied and complex ways. They have been instrumental in the development and delivery of essential health goods and services, but some of their products and practices are responsible for escalating ill-health and health inequity around the world. Frameworks for understanding and an agenda for responding to these influences on health are set out in He Lancet Series on the Commercial Determinants of Health published today. His three articles show the way to a world where health is above profit and all people live free from the harm caused by commercial forces.
“As The Lancet Series on the Commercial Determinants of Health underscores, many of the most significant risk factors for disease and injury—tobacco, alcohol, and unhealthy diet—are important, profit-generating industries for some of the world’s largest companies. ”. WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote in a commentary within the series.. “It is time for a paradigm shift. Public health cannot and will not improve without action on the commercial determinants of health, from the local to the global level. New forms of public health governance are needed.”
Dr Tedros also described WHO’s work in this area in his commentary, noting WHO’s support to national governments to address specific issues of trade determinants in areas such as tobacco control, marketing of substitutes for breast milk and noncommunicable diseases. Building on this work, a new initiative on the Economic and Business Determinants of Health was established in 2021, and the first Global Report on the Business Determinants of Health will be published next year.
Regulate the bad and allow the good
The first article in the series defines commercial determinants of health as the “systems, practices, and pathways through which commercial actors drive human health and health inequity.” In this way, the authors of the series recognize the potential of commercial actors to have both positive and negative impacts on health and health equity and establish a foundation for understanding how commercial determinants can help guide governments in the creation of new policies and systems to regulate damages. qualifying benefits.
Importantly, these health impacts are, in the second and third papers, contextualized by a framework for understanding business actors and a vision of the policies, governance systems, and business models needed to ensure health, welfare and equity. This agenda requires, among other things, formations in political and economic systems to incentivize pro-healthy business practice and empower governments to address harmful business practices.
The authors described the full range of business sectors and practices that have negative health impacts, including not only the alcohol, tobacco, and unhealthy food industries, but also others such as fossil fuels, mining, gaming, and more. of chance, as well as the wide range of practices that influence regulatory systems, laws and policies. The influences of industries such as the automotive, pharmaceutical, new technologies, and social media, which can have both positive and negative impacts on health and health equity, are also included in the discussions.
The authors conclude by emphasizing that now is the time to “…promote bold conceptualizations of social progress such that public interests and human well-being take precedence over profit.
Next steps
The Lancet series on business determinants of health represents a major step forward in understanding the complex and multifaceted ways that business actors influence health and health equity around the world. WHO is committed to ensuring that the private sector can fulfill its potential to become a partner for health and will closely follow and participate in the discussions and dialogues generated by the series. This will help inform existing and developing WHO efforts on the economic and commercial determinants of health. Together, we can develop new metrics and governance, expand the evidence base, and redirect harmful business practices toward health and health equity.
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