Abstract
The World Health Organization recently released a report on social determinants of health equity that outlined the increasingly powerful influence commercial entities have on health and public policy. This influence creates problems when it inflicts health harms on societies, with vulnerable communities often disproportionately affected. The report called for more work to analyse and manage the negative impacts of commercial interests on policymaking and health, while maximising the private sector’s health-promoting capacity. In this Briefing, we review recent decisions that have favoured commercial interests over health interests in Aotearoa New Zealand and suggest how conflicts of interest could be more effectively managed.