Governing Political Realities in NCD Agenda Setting in LMICs: A Case of the Carrot and the Stick?; Comment on “National Public Health Surveillance of Corporations in Key Unhealthy Commodity Industries: A Scoping Review and Framework Synthesis”

Document Type : Commentary

Author

1 Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

2 Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

Abstract

In their scoping review Bennett et al present a summary framework for public health surveillance of unhealthy commodity industries (UCIs) that impact human health, which is important in view of the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The authors focus on the tobacco, alcohol and food and beverage industry and discuss who should “own” the process; where in the public sector administration the responsibility should lie; and how and which practices or organizations to monitor. They also argue that the monitoring should transition from academia and civil society to (sub)-national governments because of their central role in the protection of public health. This commentary argues that the challenges related to NCD policy-making in LMICs should be viewed from within a political economy perspective and that support for UCI monitoring has to be bolstered by independent accountability mechanisms and rights-based advocacy at national and global level. 

Keywords

References

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History

  • Receive Date: 30 September 2024
  • Revise Date: 11 November 2024
  • Accept Date: 13 November 2024
  • First Publish Date: 16 November 2024

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