Non-communicable Diseases: Global Epidemics; Global Determinants; Global Solutions?

Background paper for UCL workshop on Private Authority and Public Health. 18 June 2014

Growing rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) In all regions of the world are a major development concern while also exemplifying the complexity, the shifting power dynamics,  the growing inequities and challenge of global governance that characterize our world today. NCDs - principally cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes - have become the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. 

Globalization, in addition to accelerating the displacement of traditional diets in favour of processed foods, has also shaped the power dynamics in health politics, as large multinationals exert influence to protect profits. Global market dynamics are a much more powerful force than formal global governance mechanisms.  Yet some progress has been made in combating the tobacco industry and reducing consumption. Skyrocketing rates of NCDs, and the transnational nature of their determinants, demand a global collective response. Yet what processes are available to effectively hold the commercial sector accountable? Is the multilateral state-led forum of the WHO and the larger global health governance architecture fit to fight profit-driven diseases? What type of interaction with industry promotes health and protects the public from conflicts of interest? This paper examines these and other questions with a view to identifying challenges and opportunities confronting health actors in their efforts to bring health and dignity to all.

Read the full article here: Non-communicable Diseases: Global Epidemics; Global Determinants; Global Solutions? (PDF)