How Could We Establish Monitoring and Surveillance of Health-Harming Corporations and Can Governments Be Trusted to Do It? Comment on "National Public Health Surveillance of Corporations in Key Unhealthy Commodity Industries - A Scoping Review and Framework Synthesis"

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

In the context of growing interest in the commercial determinants of health (CDOH) which has been defined as "the systems, practices, and pathways through which commercial actors drive health and equity," Bennett et al propose that governments implement monitoring of unhealthy commodity industries (UCIs) (including tobacco, alcohol, and ultra-processed foods) as part of their routine public health surveillance. We explore the evidence underpinning that suggestion and provide details on how corporate monitoring might be practically implemented drawing on lessons from tobacco industry monitoring which has been an established part of tobacco control. While governments should actively support such an approach as part of efforts to address commercially driven health harms, we urge caution in governments undertaking monitoring and identify significant barriers to implementation, while also suggesting ways in which those barriers might be overcome.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-5
JournalInternational Journal of Health Policy and Management
Volume13
Issue number1
Early online date2 Oct 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 31 Dec 2024

Funding

AG and RA are supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, as part of the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use. AG is also supported by UK Research and Innovation funding for “Local Health and Global Profits” (Grant No.: MR/Y030753/1), which is part of Population Health Improvement UK (PHIUK), a national research network which works to transform health and reduce inequalities through change at the population level. The funders played no role in the research or the decision to submit for publication.

Keywords

  • Commercial Determinants of Health
  • Industry Monitoring
  • Surveillance
  • Unhealthy Commodity Industry

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Leadership and Management
  • Health(social science)
  • Health Policy
  • Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
  • Health Information Management

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