WHO Europe report exposes industry tactics fuelling NCD epidemic
A groundbreaking report from the WHO Regional Office for Europe reveals how powerful industries are driving the non-communicable disease crisis across Europe and central Asia. The report calls for urgent action to protect public health policies from corporate interference.
Four key industries identified
In a scathing indictment of corporate practices, the World Health Organization’s European office has released a comprehensive report detailing how specific industries are actively undermining public health efforts and contributing to the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) across the region. The report, titled “Commercial determinants of noncommunicable diseases in the WHO European Region”, provides an unprecedented look into the tactics employed by major industries to prioritise profits over population health.
The document, launched by Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health, Frank Vandenbroucke, in Brussels, paints a stark picture of the commercial landscape driving the NCD epidemic. It identifies four key industries – tobacco, ultra-processed foods, fossil fuels, and alcohol – as being wholly or partly responsible for a staggering 2.7 million deaths per year in the European Region alone.
Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, did not mince words in his assessment of the situation: “Four industries kill at least 7000 people in our Region every day. The same large commercial entities block regulation that would protect the public from harmful products and marketing, and protect health policy from industry interference.”
The report meticulously outlines how these industries, along with others such as pharmaceutical and medical device companies, engage in a range of practices designed to shape structural, policy, and information environments to their advantage. This “industry playbook” includes tactics such as political lobbying, spreading misinformation and disinformation, harmful financial practices, and targeted marketing strategies aimed at vulnerable populations, including children and young people.
Consolidation of power and its consequences
One of the most alarming findings of the report is the extent to which industry consolidation has amplified corporate influence. The concentration of power in the hands of a small number of transnational corporations has enabled these entities to exert significant control over the political and legal contexts in which they operate. This consolidation has made it increasingly difficult for governments and public health advocates to implement and enforce regulations that could impact industry profit margins.
The report highlights how this power imbalance has led to a systemic failure in regulating harmful industry practices. As a result, commercial influence has grown unchecked, while public wealth and power have declined. This trend has perpetuated industry-driven health harms, particularly in the realm of NCDs, which account for a staggering 90% of deaths in the European Region.
Deceptive practices and policy interference
The WHO report provides a series of case studies that illustrate the breadth and depth of corporate capture of public policy and policymaking. These examples demonstrate how “big industry” employs both overt and covert methods to delay, deter, and block NCD prevention policies, such as tobacco control measures and mandatory health and nutrition labelling for food and alcohol products.
Moreover, the report documents harmful industry practices in disease management, including the inequitable pricing and availability of cancer drugs and the promotion of non-evidence-based and unregulated screening tests. These practices not only undermine public health efforts but also exacerbate health inequalities across the region.
Minister Vandenbroucke emphasised the need for a paradigm shift in addressing these issues: “For too long we have considered risk factors as being mostly linked to individual choices. We need to re-frame the problem as a systemic problem, where policy has to counter ‘hyper-consumption environments’, restrict marketing and stop interference in policy-making.”
A call to action
The report serves as a rallying cry for the 53 Member States in the European Region to take decisive action against the commercial influences fuelling the NCD epidemic. It calls for a multi-faceted approach that addresses industry practices at all levels – individual, environmental, public policy, and political economic systems.
Key recommendations include:
- Strengthening regulations on marketing of health-harming products
- Addressing monopolistic practices
- Enhancing transparency around lobbying, funding, and conflicts of interest
- Improving taxation of multinational corporations
- Ensuring job security and better labour conditions
- Protecting vulnerable populations from exploitation during crises
- Supporting independent civil society organisations.
The report also emphasises the need for trade agreements that prioritise public health and for stronger health-oriented interpretations of economic laws. These measures are crucial to ensure that public health does not continue to be overshadowed by narrow economic interests.
Successes and challenges
Despite the formidable opposition from industry, some countries have managed to make progress in implementing health-protective policies. The report highlights several success stories, including:
- Estonia’s implementation of a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, aided by a coalition of health partners including dentists, nurses, and physicians.
- Kyrgyzstan’s adoption of tobacco control measures, bolstered by advocacy from women’s councils.
- Slovenia’s passage of tobacco legislation, supported by national and international mobilisation of civil society organisations.
However, these successes are tempered by the recognition that much more needs to be done to counter the power, resources, and lobbying efforts of industry. Dr Gauden Galea, Strategic Advisor to the Regional Director on Non-Communicable Diseases and Innovation at the WHO Regional Office for Europe, stressed the long-term nature of this challenge: “The insidious practices of powerful industries did not appear overnight, and they will not go away easily. This is a long-term effort that requires political will, first and foremost.”
Looking ahead
As countries prepare to report on their progress at the United Nations High Level Meeting on NCDs in September 2025, the urgency of addressing commercial determinants of health has never been clearer. The WHO report serves as a wake-up call to policymakers, healthcare professionals, and civil society organisations across the European Region.
The task ahead is monumental, requiring concerted efforts from Member States, civil society, academia, and international organisations to shield public policy from industry interference and protect future generations from preventable chronic diseases. As Dr Kluge emphatically stated, “WHO/Europe will work with policy-makers to strengthen tactics to protect against and reduce harmful industry influence. Today, we provide indisputable evidence of harmful commercial practices and products, and we say: people must take precedence before profit, always.”
The release of this report marks a crucial turning point in the fight against NCDs in Europe and central Asia. It challenges the medical community, policymakers, and society at large to confront the commercial forces undermining public health and to work towards a future where health policies are shaped by evidence and public interest, not corporate profit margins.
- Download the report
The Commercial Determinants of Noncommunicable Diseases in the WHO European Region report can be downloaded here:
https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/9789289061162
