Governing Political Realities in NCD Agenda Setting in LMICS: a Case of the Carrot and the Stick?; Comment on "National Public Health Surveillance of Corporations in Key Unhealthy Commodity Industries: a Scoping Review and Framework Synthesis".

Abstract

In their scoping review Bennett et al. present a summary framework for public health surveillance of unhealthy commodity industries (UCI) that impact human health, which is important in view of the rising burden of non-communicable diseases, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The authors focus on the tobacco, alcohol and food and beverage industry and discuss who should 'own' the process; where in the public sector administration the responsibility should lie; and how and which practices or organizations to monitor. They also argue that the monitoring should transition from academia and civil society to (sub)-national governments because of their central role in the protection of public health. This commentary argues that the challenges related to NCD policymaking in LMICs should be viewed from within a political economy perspective and that support for UCI monitoring has to be bolstered by independent accountability mechanisms and rights-based advocacy at national and global level.