WHO's web-based public hearings: hijacked by pharma?

Wibulpolprasert, Suwit; Moosa, Sheena; Satyanarayana, K; Samarage, Sarath; Tangcharoensathien, Viroj

doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(07)61689-4

Cited by 4 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…One participant commented that the industry established proxy organisations to act behind-the-scenes to protect the interests of the company. This tactic is similar to the pharmaceutical industries in using puppet agencies [ 18 ]. “The food industry establishes a proxy association or club to act against government policy through submission of petition letter to government protesting actions which may affect the industry.” (GO) …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Corporate political activity of major food companies in Thailand: an assessment and policy recommendations

et al. 2018

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BackgroundThe food industry can influence individual and population level food consumption behaviours, shape public preferences and interfere with government policy on obesity prevention and NCDs. This paper identifies the Corporate Political Activity (CPA) of major food companies in Thailand which relate to obesity and NCDs.MethodsUsing the INFORMAS framework to classify CPA, we reviewed publicly available information by 12 food companies between August 2011 and July 2016 in order to identify, analyse and classify the CPA contents. Semi-structured interviews with 17 key stakeholders who are experts in this field supplemented evidence from the document review. Data analysis applied a thematic approach.ResultsFood industry in Thailand applied a variety of CPA strategies and practices. The two most common strategies were constituency building and information and messaging.ConclusionThe diverse range of CPA strategies which influence government policy and public opinion can undermine efforts to prevent obesity and diet-related NCDs. We recommend systematic monitoring of their CPA, strengthening mechanisms to hold the food industry accountable for their role in protecting and promoting the nutrition and health of the population, introducing mandatory registration of lobbyists, mandatory disclosure of political donations, and stronger oversight of conflicts of interest among the government actors.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12992-018-0432-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Corporate political activity of major food companies in Thailand: an assessment and policy recommendations

et al. 2018

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“…Indeed, in the second public consultation, the number of presentations supporting a strong intellectual property protection increased enormously. This was answered by many NGOs which pointed out that the industry was distorting the spirit and the aim of the IGWG …”

Section: The Processmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This was answered by many NGOs which pointed out that the industry was distorting the spirit and the aim of the IGWG. 21 This second round was characterized by the richness of the proposals, and the focus was on the discussion on intellectual property and the possible alternative mechanisms for funding R&D for pharmaceutical products. The discussions became more intense, and basically two groups were formed.…”

Section: The Processmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Right to Health and Medicines: The Case of Recent Multilateral Negotiations on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property

Velásquez¹

2014

Developing World Bioethics

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The negotiations of the intergovernmental group known as the 'IGWG', undertaken by the Member States of the WHO, were the result of a deadlock in the World Health Assembly held in 2006 where the Member States of the WHO were unable to reach an agreement on what to do with the 60 recommendations in the report on 'Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property Rights submitted to the Assembly in the same year by a group of experts designated by the Director General of the WHO. The result of these negotiations was the 'Global strategy and plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual property' which was approved by the World Health Assembly in 2008. The intention of the Global Strategy and Plan of Action (GSPOA) which was produced by the IGWG was to substantially reform the pharmaceuticals' research and development system in view of the findings that this system, whose purpose is to produce medicines for diseases which affect the greater part of the world population which lives in developing countries, had failed. The intellectual property rights imposed by the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and the recent trade agreements could become one of the main obstacles to access to medicines. The GSPOA makes a critical analysis of this reality, and opens the door to searching for new solutions to this problem.

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“…The politics of commercialization of public action was clearly visible in the context of the IGWG, where patients' organizations were represented in large numbers. The first public reflection of this presence was a Lancet letter, expressing concern about the financial background of many of the patients' representatives (75). The number of patients' organization (16) and industry representatives (56) on the list of participants in the IGWG negotiations was large in comparison with the numbers of NGO representatives traditionally involved with the matter at the global level (76).…”

Section: Commercialization and Nongovernmental Public Actionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Commercial Influence and Global Nongovernmental Public Action in Health and Pharmaceutical Policies

Koivusalo

Mackintosh²

2011

Int J Health Serv

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Nongovernmental public action has been effective in influencing global agenda-setting in health and pharmaceutical policies, yet its record in influencing solutions to the problems identified has been notably more limited. While trade policies have been particularly resistant to change, more substantial changes are observable in global health policies and global health governance. However, some of the directions of change may not be conducive to the democratic accountability of global health governance, to the wise use of public resources, to health systems development, or to longer-term access to health care within developing countries. The authors argue that observed changes in global health policies can be understood as accommodating to corporate concerns and priorities. Furthermore, the changing global context and the commercialization of global public action itself pose sharp challenges to the exercise of influence by global nongovernmental public actors. Nongovernmental organizations not only face a major challenge in terms of the imbalance in power and resources between themselves and corporate interest groups when seeking to influence policymaking; they also face the problem of corporate influence on public action itself.

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WHO's web-based public hearings: hijacked by pharma?

Cited by 4 publications

References 2 publications

Corporate political activity of major food companies in Thailand: an assessment and policy recommendations

Corporate political activity of major food companies in Thailand: an assessment and policy recommendations

The Right to Health and Medicines: The Case of Recent Multilateral Negotiations on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property

Commercial Influence and Global Nongovernmental Public Action in Health and Pharmaceutical Policies

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