Session 7

An unhealthy profit – tackling obstacles to achieving the NCD targets

Is democratic policymaking being undermined by the political practices of commercial actors?

Organised by the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe

In October 2023, the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe launched the 100-week challenge to catalyse implementation of non-communicable disease (NCD) policies and programmes with the potential to save the maximum number of lives, marking the countdown to the 4th High-level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of NCDs in 2025. However, the democratically elected policymakers wanting to implement effective NCD policies are often faced with pressure and resistance by the commercial actors.

This session will reflect on how political practices of commercial actors have shaped the development and implementation of public health policies in Europe, with a focus on tobacco, alcohol, and nutrition, and discuss the efforts of the public health community to equip policymakers with the necessary skills to respond to the practices and arguments of unhealthy commodity industries. This discussion is urgent in the context of the upcoming NCD High Level Meeting, as well in light of the delayed implementation of the relevant risk factor provisions in the EU Beating Cancer Plan, such as nutrition and alcohol labelling, or the tobacco tax directive proposals.