LONDON (Reuters) -Pressure from tobacco, alcohol, and ultra-processed food companies is stopping governments from putting in place life-saving health policies, the World Health Organization said on Thursday.
The United Nations will dedicate a day to tackling non-communicable diseases, like cancer and heart disease, next Thursday during its annual gathering in New York. The WHO, the UN’s health agency, says the products contribute to such conditions.
In a separate report, the WHO found that $3 per person invested by governments on non-communicable disease could save more than 12 million lives and generate $1 trillion in savings by 2030.
But the WHO’s statement said that governments often face intense lobbying from industries trying to block, weaken or delay policies, ranging from health