Global Perspectives Archive
Global Politics & Pharmaceutical Industry Practices July 2009 Two books on the ethics, politics and practices of the global pharmaceutical trade. Reviewed are: The Global Politics of Pharmaceutical Monopoly, Power, Drug Patents, Access, Innovation and the application of the WTO Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health by Ellen F.M. Ôt Hoen (AMB Diemen, 2009) and Global Pharmaceuticals: Ethics, Markets, Practices, edited by Adriana Petryna, Andrew Lakoff, & Arthur Kleinman (Duke University Press, 2006).
The Financial Crisis and Public Health: Hidden Opportunities for Prevention? In this commentary, CHW founder and director Nicholas Freudenberg examines how the current financial crisis may influence corporate health practices and asks whether the crisis may present the public health community with new opportunities to advance healthier policies and to restore a more just balance between markets and government.
New Reports on Food, Alcohol and Tobacco Marketing In the last few months, government and advocacy organizations have released new reports on the impact of tobacco marketing, inequities in how grocery chains serve low-income neighborhoods, and the alcohol industry's compliance with its own voluntary guidelines. To help readers keep up, we summarize some of this summer's publications and provide links to the full reports.
Interview with Raj Patel CHW speaks with Raj Patel, author of the new book Stuffed and Starved: Markets, Power and the Hidden Battle for the World Food System, on how corporate control of the world's food system influences public health and well being, government accountability and the need for democratic social change.
The Snack Food Association: Washington's Voice for Sugar, Fat and Salt In this profile, CHW examines the health impact of snack food trade group lobbying efforts and legislative recommendations.
Public health vs. free trade: Sweden and European Union clash over alcohol policy This report explores how the European Union's trade rules have affected Sweden's ability to reduce the adverse health consequences of alcohol use and how trade liberalization can benefit the alcohol industry at the expense of public health.
Global Trade and Public Health
New Report Calls on United Kingdom to Tackle Obesity More Forcefully; Advocates Urge Action Now We review the October 2007 British government report "Tackling Obesities: Future Choices," explore the recommendations of the Children's Food Campaign in response to the report, and finally compare the current British and U.S. debates on the role of government and industry in addressing escalating rates of obesity.
Update on Pharmaceutical Industry: New threats to Pharma’s public reputation. In this report, we highlight some recent reports that might explain the declining public perceptions of the pharmaceutical industry.
The Global Trade in Small Arms: Slow motion weapons of mass destruction? The social, political, economic and health impact of the small arms trade, particularly on the global south.
Local, National and Global Action Against Motor Vehicle Pollution: Making healthy breathing a right CHW explores the impact of vehicle exhaust on health, examines strategies used by advocates and policy makers at the local, national and global levels to fight for clean air, and chronicles recent efforts by the auto industry to stall and weaken House and Senate attempts to raise U.S. fuel efficiency standards.
Free trade, the food industry and obesity: How changes in US- Mexico food trade contributed to an epidemic The impact of NAFTA on health and obesity in Mexico.
Towards a Global Tobacco Control Agenda: The WHO’s Framework Convention for Tobacco Control Global dimensions of tobacco control activism.
Two schoolgirls force GlaxoSmithKline to apologize for deceptive food advertising and to pay fine
