Corporate Accountability International: NGOs Urge World Health Assembly to Challenge Corporate Role in Preventable Disease
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 23, 2008
12:59 PM
|
CONTACT: Corporate Accountability International
Kathy Mulvey, +41.76.547.3476
Nick Guroff, +1 617-447-2507 |
| |
|
NGOs Urge World Health Assembly to Challenge Corporate Role in Preventable Disease
|
| |
GENEVA - May 23 - The World Health Assembly (WHA) today moved toward approval of an action plan that combats diseases caused by unhealthy diets, tobacco use, alcohol abuse and physical inactivity. The WHA’s debate highlighted the importance of safeguarding public health policies such as healthy nutrition and tobacco control against interference by commercial interests.
Seeking to circumvent mandatory health policies in Brussels this week, PepsiCo and Coca Cola announced a new voluntary scheme with the stated aim of reducing their marketing of unhealthy foods to children age 12 and under.
“These corporations are blatantly attempting to preempt policy initiatives at the international level to curb junk food marketing to children,” said T.J. Faircloth, Research Director of Corporate Accountability International, who participated in the Geneva talks. “When these corporations police themselves, it’s the classic scenario of the fox guarding the henhouse.”
As corporations like PepsiCo, Coca Cola and McDonalds have extended their marketing reach in low- and middle-income countries, the prevalence of diet-related diseases has ballooned. Globally in 2007, an estimated 22 million children under the age of five years were overweight. And more than 75 percent of these overweight and obese children now live in low- and middle-income countries. During the WHA debate, delegates pointed to increasing rates of diet-related diseases like diabetes in regions from Europe to the Pacific Islands, and to the irresponsible and dangerous marketing practices of the food industry.
Last year’s WHA instructed the WHO Director-General to develop recommendations on how to curb the marketing of unhealthy foods to children. The momentum for doing so builds on the precedents set by the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which includes a ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
The African group of nations stressed the global tobacco treaty as a cornerstone of the action plan to combat preventable diseases. The FCTC, the first treaty negotiated under the auspices of the WHO, has been ratified by 156 countries and protects 80% of the world’s people. But the treaty continues to be the target of interference by tobacco giants like Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco and Japan Tobacco.
“Whether its junk food or tobacco, these industries are attempting to derail policies that will protect the health and lives of millions worldwide,” said Kathy Mulvey, International Policy Director of Corporate Accountability International. “The epidemic of preventable diseases is global, the industries involved are transnational, and marketing cuts across borders. The WHO must take the lead, because self-regulation by industries like tobacco or food can’t solve these problems.”
Corporate Accountability International, formerly Infact, is a membership organization that protects people by waging and winning campaigns challenging irresponsible and dangerous corporate actions around the world. For over 25 years, we’ve forced corporations—like Nestlé, General Electric and Philip Morris/Altria—to stop abusive actions. Corporate Accountability International, an NGO in Official Relations with the World Health Organization (WHO), played a key role in development of the FCTC. For more information visit www.stopcorporateabuse.org.
###
|
|
Printer Friendly Version
E-Mail This Article
