PHM-Exch> Action on social determinants of health is essential to tackle noncommunicable diseases (2)

[Claudio Schuftan]

[image: More]


>From Leslie London

<Leslie.London at uct.ac.za>


I see this piece calls for action, but does not mention once concepts of
"power" or "conflict of interest."

Yet the whole field of non-communicable disease is inexorably bound up with
corporate profits and industry agendas.

So, the kinds of actions we are called on to under appear rather anemic, not
mention, likely to be ineffective, if they don't challenge the fundamental
issues of power underlying "social inequalities and the conditions in which
people are born, grow, live, work and age."



For example, the notion that industry and community have a common interest
in reducing chronic disease is somehow implied in foregrounding the
experience in Karelia, Finland, related to improvement of diet and reducing
fat and salt content of food.

Finland is a developed country of 5 million people far removed from where
large global corporates extract their maximum profits - poor communities in
poor countries.



This is very disappointing that this is the kind of view coming from the
Department of Ethics, Equity, Trade and Human Rights at WHO.
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