Although commercial entities can contribute positively to health and society there
is growing evidence that the products and practices of some commercial actors notably
the largest transnational corporations are responsible for escalating rates of avoidable
ill health, planetary damage, and social and health inequity; these problems are increasingly
referred to as the commercial determinants of health. The climate emergency, the non-communicable
disease epidemic, and that just four industry sectors (ie, tobacco, ultra-processed
food, fossil fuel, and alcohol) already account for at least a third of global deaths
illustrate the scale and huge economic cost of the problem.
This paper is about the future role of the commercial sector in global health and
health equity. The discussion is not about the overthrow of capitalism nor a full-throated
embrace of corporate partnerships. No single solution can eradicate the harms from
the commercial determinants of health the business models, practices, and products
of market actors that damage health equity and human and planetary health and wellbeing.
But evidence shows that progressive economic models, international frameworks, government
regulation, compliance mechanisms for commercial entities, regenerative business types
and models that incorporate health, social, and environmental goals, and strategic
civil society mobilisation together offer possibilities of systemic, transformative
change, reduce those harms arising from commercial forces, and foster human and planetary
wellbeing.
Stages of tuberculosis disease can be delineated by radiology, microbiology, and symptoms,
but transitions between these stages remain unclear. In a systematic review and meta-analysis
of studies of individuals with untreated tuberculosis who underwent follow-up (34
cohorts from 24 studies, with a combined sample of 139 063), we aimed to quantify
progression and regression across the tuberculosis disease spectrum by extracting
summary estimates to align with disease transitions in a conceptual framework of the
natural history of tuberculosis.
At the High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage at the UN General Assembly
in 2019, global leaders made a commitment to set targets to prevent and control non-communicable
diseases (NCDs), including mental, neurological, and substance use (MNS) conditions.1
At that time, focused actions were proposed to improve access to essential medicines
for NCDs,2 supported by WHO, including leveraging the WHO Model Lists of Essential
Medicines to develop and update national essential medicines lists, developing further
normative guidance, establishing and using prequalification programmes, advocating
for affordability and fair pricing, enhancing demand forecasting, and expanding pooled
procurement, guided by global strategic frameworks3–5 and WHO technical guidance.
Workshop on pre-hospital emergency care held in K'si ghanaiantimes.com.gh - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ghanaiantimes.com.gh Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.