The WHO has identified four major industries—tobacco, ultra-processed foods (UPFs), fossil fuels, and alcohol—as responsible for causing 2.7 million deaths annually in Europe. It has accused these industries of obstructing public policies that could potentially harm their profits.
According to Hans Kluge, the director of the World Health Organization Europe region, which includes 53 countries, these “four industries cause the death of at least 7,000 people in our region every day.” This statement was made in a Tuesday release.
The WHO, upon releasing a report, stated that the consolidation of these industry sectors into a small number of multinationals has granted them significant power over the political and legal environments in which they operate, enabling them to block regulations that might affect their profits.
The report highlighted industry tactics such as targeting vulnerable populations through marketing strategies, misleading consumers, and making false claims about product benefits or environmental impact. These tactics, the WHO argued, undermine public health achievements of the past century and hinder countries from achieving their health objectives.
The WHO noted that industry lobbying is impeding efforts to address non-communicable diseases like cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. Nearly 60 percent of adults and a third of children in Europe are overweight or obese, according to WHO data from 2017, with one in five deaths attributed to cardiovascular disease and cancer linked to unhealthy eating habits.
To combat this, the WHO called on countries to enforce stronger regulations on the marketing of unhealthy products, monopolistic practices, and lobbying. Kluge emphasized that people’s well-being should always take precedence over profit.
The report, titled “Commercial Determinants of Noncommunicable Diseases in the WHO European Region,” is available on the WHO website.
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