1932

Abstract

Over the past few decades, cross-sector partnerships with the private sector have become an increasingly accepted practice in public health, particularly in efforts to address infectious diseases in low- and middle-income countries. Now these partnerships are becoming a popular tool in efforts to reduce and prevent obesity and the epidemic of noncommunicable diseases. Partnering with businesses presents a means to acquire resources, as well as opportunities to influence the private sector toward more healthful practices. Yet even though collaboration is a core principle of public health practice, public–private or nonprofit–private partnerships present risks and challenges that warrant specific consideration. In this article, we review the role of public health partnerships with the private sector, with a focus on efforts to address obesity and noncommunicable diseases in high-income settings. We identify key challenges—including goal alignment and conflict of interest—and consider how changes to partnership practice might address these.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031914-122802
2015-03-18
2024-03-29
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/publhealth/36/1/annurev-publhealth-031914-122802.html?itemId=/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031914-122802&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

Literature Cited

  1. Acharya T, Fuller AC, Mensah G, Yach D. 1.  2011. The current and future role of the food industry in the prevention and control of chronic diseases: the case of Pepsico. See Ref. 54 187–203
  2. 2. Am. Acad. Family Physicians 2009. American Academy of Family Physicians launches consumer alliance with first partner: the Coca-Cola Company News Release, Oct. 6. http://www.aafp.org/media-center/releases-statements/all/2009/consumeralliance-cocacola.html
  3. Andrews R, Entwistle T. 3.  2010. Does cross-sectoral partnership deliver? An empirical exploration of public service effectiveness, efficiency, and equity. J. Public Adm. Res. 20:3679–701 [Google Scholar]
  4. Austin J. 4.  2000. Strategic collaboration between nonprofits and business. Nonprofit Volunt. Sect. Q. 29:169–97 [Google Scholar]
  5. Austin J. 5.  2010. The Collaboration Challenge: How Nonprofits and Businesses Succeed through Strategic Alliances San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
  6. Bachmann R, Zaheer A. 6.  2013. Handbook of Advances in Trust Research 33 Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar
  7. Barr D. 7.  2007. A research protocol to evaluate the effectiveness of public–private partnerships as a means to improve health and welfare systems worldwide. Am. J. Public Health 97:119–25 [Google Scholar]
  8. Bauer K, Boles O, Stibbe D. 8.  2010. An “all-of-society” approach involving business in tackling the rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Commonwealth Health Ministers' Update 2010137–45 London: Commonw. Secr. [Google Scholar]
  9. Brody H. 9.  2011. Clarifying conflict of interest. Am. J. Bioeth. 11:123–28 [Google Scholar]
  10. Brownell KD. 10.  2012. Thinking forward: the quicksand of appeasing the food industry. PLOS Med. 9:7e1001254 [Google Scholar]
  11. Brownell KD, Battle Horgen K. 11.  2004. Food Fight New York: McGraw-Hill
  12. Buse K, Tanaka S. 12.  2011. Global public-private health partnerships: lessons learned from ten years of experience and evaluation. Int. Dent. J. 61:Suppl. 22–10 [Google Scholar]
  13. Buse K, Walt G. 13.  2002. The World Health Organization and global public-private health partnerships: in search of “good” global health governance. See Ref. 46 169–95
  14. Buse K, Waxman A. 14.  2001. Public-private health partnerships: a strategy for WHO. Bull. World Health Organ. 79:8748–54 [Google Scholar]
  15. Cameron R, Bauman A, Rose A. 15.  2006. Innovations in population intervention research capacity: the contributions of Canada on the move. Can. J. Public Health 97:Suppl. 1S5–9 [Google Scholar]
  16. 16. Change4Life. 2013. Terms of engagement for national commercial partner involvement Revis. April. http://www.nhs.uk/Change4Life/Pages/partner-frequently-asked-questions.aspx#question4
  17. 17. Conflicts of Interest Coalition 2011. Conflicts of interest coalition statement of concern Sept. http://info.babymilkaction.org/sites/info.babymilkaction.org/files/COIC150_0.pdf
  18. Dietz W. 18.  2006. Canada on the move: a novel effort to increase physical activity among Canadians. Can. J. Public Health 97:Suppl. 1S3–4 [Google Scholar]
  19. Dorfman L, Cheyne A, Friedman LC, Wadud A, Gottlieb M. 19.  2012. Soda and tobacco industry corporate social responsibility campaigns: How do they compare?. PLOS Med. 9:6e1001241 [Google Scholar]
  20. Economos CD, Folta SC, Goldberg J, Hudson D, Collins J. 20.  et al. 2009. A community-based restaurant initiative to increase availability of healthy menu options in Somerville, Massachusetts: Shape Up Somerville. Prev. Chronic Dis. 6:3A102 [Google Scholar]
  21. Economos CD, Hyatt RR, Must A, Goldberg JP, Kuder J. 21.  et al. 2013. Shape Up Somerville two-year results: a community-based environmental change intervention sustains weight reduction in children. Prev. Med. 57:4322–27 [Google Scholar]
  22. Elinder LS. 22.  2011. Obesity and chronic diseases, whose business?. Eur. J. Public Health 21:4402–3 [Google Scholar]
  23. Finegood DT. 23.  The complex systems science of obesity. Handbook of the Social Science of Obesity J Cawley 208–36 New York: Oxford Univ. Press [Google Scholar]
  24. Freedhoff Y. 24.  2013. An expanded definition for public-private partnership conflict of interest. Weighty Matters Dec. 31. http://www.weightymatters.ca/2013/12/an-expanded-definition-for-public.html
  25. Freedhoff Y, Hébert P. 25.  2011. Partnerships between health organizations and the food industry risk derailing public health nutrition. Can. Med. Assoc. J. 183:3291–92 [Google Scholar]
  26. Gilmore AB, Savell E, Collin J. 26.  2011. Public health, corporations and the new responsibility deal: promoting partnerships with vectors of disease?. J. Public Health 33:12–4 [Google Scholar]
  27. Hawkes C, Buse K. 27.  2011. Public health sector and food industry interaction: It's time to clarify the term “partnership” and be honest about underlying interests. Eur. J. Public Health 21:4400–1 [Google Scholar]
  28. Heim L. 28.  2010. Identifying and addressing potential conflict of interest: a professional medical organization's code of ethics. Ann. Family Med. 8:359–61 [Google Scholar]
  29. Hospedales CJ, Jané-Llopis E. 29.  2011. A multistakeholder platform to promote health and prevent noncommunicable diseases in the region of the Americas: the Pan American Health Organization partners forum for action. J. Health Commun. 16:Suppl. 2191–200 [Google Scholar]
  30. Huang T, Yaroch A. 30.  2009. A public-private partnership model for obesity prevention. Prev. Chronic Dis. 6:3A110 [Google Scholar]
  31. 31. Inst. Med 2012. Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention: Solving the Weight of the Nation Washington, DC: Natl. Acad. Press
  32. Johnston LM, Matteson CL, Finegood DT. 32.  2014. Systems science and obesity policy: a novel framework for analyzing and rethinking population-level planning. Am. J. Public Health 104:1270–78 [Google Scholar]
  33. Kottow M. 33.  2010. Ethical quandaries posing as conflicts of interest. J. Med. Ethics 36:6328–32 [Google Scholar]
  34. 34. Lancet 2009. Change4Life brought to you by PepsiCo (and others). Lancet 373:965896 [Google Scholar]
  35. Lasker RD, Weiss ES, Miller R. 35.  2001. Partnership synergy: a practical framework for studying and strengthening the collaborative advantage. Milbank Q. 79:2179–205 III–IV [Google Scholar]
  36. Linder SH, Rosenau PV. 36.  2000. Mapping the terrain of the public-private policy partnership. Public-Private Policy Partnerships PV Rosenau 1–18 Cambridge, MA: MIT Press [Google Scholar]
  37. Lucas A. 37.  2002. Public-private partnerships: illustrative examples. See Ref. 46 19–39
  38. Ludwig D, Nestle M. 38.  2008. Can the food industry play a constructive role in the obesity epidemic?. JAMA 300:151808–11 [Google Scholar]
  39. Malhi L, Karanfil O, Merth T, Acheson M, Palmer A, Finegood DT. 39.  2009. Places to intervene to make complex food systems more healthy, green, fair, and affordable. J. Hunger Environ. Nutr. 4:3466–76 [Google Scholar]
  40. Marks JH, Thompson DB. 40.  2011. Shifting the focus: conflict of interest and the food industry. Am. J. Bioeth. 11:144–46 [Google Scholar]
  41. McKinnon R. 41.  2009. A case for public-private partnerships in health: lessons from an honest broker. Prev. Chronic Dis. 6:2A72 [Google Scholar]
  42. Meadows D. 42.  2008. Thinking in Systems: A Primer White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green
  43. Nestle M. 43.  2002. Food Politics Berkeley: Univ. Calif. Press
  44. Nishtar S. 44.  2004. Public–private ‘partnerships’ in health—a global call to action. Health Res. Policy Syst. 2:15 [Google Scholar]
  45. 45. Public Health Agency Can 2008. Core Competencies for Public Health in Canada Ottawa: Public Health Agency Can http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/php-psp/ccph-cesp/about_cc-apropos_ce-eng.php
  46. Reich MR. 46.  2002. Public-Private Partnerships for Public Health Cambridge, MA: Harvard Cent. Popul. Dev. Stud.
  47. Roberts MJ, Breitenstein AG, Roberts CS. 47.  2002. The ethics of public-private partnerships. See Ref. 46 67–96
  48. Sharma LL, Teret SP, Brownell KD. 48.  2010. The food industry and self-regulation: standards to promote success and to avoid public health failures. Am. J. Public Health 100:2240–46 [Google Scholar]
  49. Solomon RC, Flores F. 49.  2001. Building Trust in Business, Politics, Relationships, and Life New York: Oxford Univ. Press
  50. Stossel TP, Stell LK. 50.  2011. Time to ‘walk the walk’ about industry ties to enhance health. Nat. Med. 17:4437–38 [Google Scholar]
  51. Stuckler D, Basu S. 51.  2011. Evaluating the health burden of chronic diseases. See Ref. 54 1–25
  52. Stuckler D, Basu S, King L, Steele S, McKee M. 52.  2011. Politics of chronic disease. See Ref. 54 135–85
  53. Stuckler D, Nestle M. 53.  2012. Big food, food systems, and global health. PLOS Med. 9:6e1001242 [Google Scholar]
  54. Stuckler D, Siegel K. 54.  2011. Sick Societies: Responding to the Global Challenge of Chronic Disease New York: Oxford Univ. Press
  55. Teutsch SM, Fielding JE. 55.  2013. Rediscovering the core of public health. Annu. Rev. Public Health 34:287–99 [Google Scholar]
  56. Trafford S, Proctor T. 56.  2006. Successful joint venture partnerships: public-private partnerships. Int. J. Public Sect. Manag. 19:2117–29 [Google Scholar]
  57. Tremblay MS. 57.  2012. Major initiatives related to childhood obesity and physical inactivity in Canada: the year in review. Can. J. Public Health 103:3164–69 [Google Scholar]
  58. Wettenhall R. 58.  2003. The rhetoric and reality of public-private partnerships. Public Organ. Rev. 107:77–107 [Google Scholar]
  59. 59. WHO (World Health Organ.) 2008. 2008–2013 Action Plan for the Global Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases Geneva: WHO http://www.who.int/nmh/publications/9789241597418/en/
  60. 60. WHO (World Health Organ.) 2012. WHO discussion paper 1: effective approaches for strengthening multisectoral action for NCDs Discus. Pap. 1, March 19. WHO, Geneva. http://www.who.int/nmh/events/2012/discussion_paper1.pdf
  61. 61. WHO (World Health Organ.) 2012. WHO discussion paper 2: lessons-learned from existing multisectoral partnerships that may inform the global response to NCDs Discus. Pap. 2, March 19. WHO, Geneva. http://www.who.int/nmh/events/2012/discussion_paper2.pdf
  62. 62. WHO (World Health Organ.) 2013. Obesity and overweight. Fact sheet N°311 WHO Geneva: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/
  63. 63. WHO (World Health Organ.) 2014. Public-private partnerships for health WHO Geneva: http://www.who.int/trade/glossary/story077/en/index.html
  64. Widdus R. 64.  2001. Public–private partnerships for health: their main targets, their diversity, and their future directions. Bull. World Health Organ. 79:8713–20 [Google Scholar]
  65. Wiist WH. 65.  2011. The corporate play book, health, and democracy: the snack food and beverage industry's tactics in context. See Ref. 54 204–16
  66. Yach D. 66.  2008. Food companies and nutrition for better health. Public Health Nutr. 11:2109–11 [Google Scholar]
  67. Yach D, Khan M, Bradley D, Hargrove R, Kehoe S, Mensah G. 67.  2010. The role and challenges of the food industry in addressing chronic disease. Glob. Health 6:10 [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031914-122802
Loading
/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031914-122802
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Review Article
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error