The latest special issue of Health Promotion International (Volume 39, Issue 6, December 2024) brings urgent attention to the growing impact of commercial determinants of health (CDoH) on public health. Authored by prominent scholars, this issue highlights the powerful, often harmful influence of industries such as tobacco, alcohol, ultra-processed food, and pharmaceuticals on health outcomes globally.
Since the term “CDoH” was first popularised by Professor Ilona Kickbusch in the late 1980s, efforts to combat the predatory tactics of corporate sectors have made significant strides, particularly in tobacco control. Yet, as the article stresses, health-harming industries continually evolve, with new threats such as Big Tech and gambling industries emerging.
The special issue calls for coordinated global efforts to confront these powerful commercial interests and protect public health. It advocates for decolonizing the CDoH field to include perspectives from Lower- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), where regulatory infrastructures may be less robust. It also emphasizes the importance of engaging diverse communities, especially youth, in tackling these challenges and making health policies more inclusive.
As the issue demonstrates, meaningful progress is possible, but it requires consistent collaboration, continued exposure of corporate harm, and a commitment to evidence-based policy that safeguards public health over profit.
See the full list of articles in the issue here.
