WHO Warns of Industry Pressure Blocking Health Policies

On 18th September 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that lobbying from tobacco, alcohol, and ultra-processed food companies is preventing governments from implementing life-saving health policies to curb non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer and heart disease.

Key Points

UN Focus on NCDs: The UN will dedicate a day during its New York assembly to tackling NCDs like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, which are fuelled by tobacco, alcohol, and unhealthy foods.
Economic Impact: A WHO report highlights that $3 per person invested annually in NCD prevention could save over 12 million lives and generate $1 trillion in savings by 2030.
Industry Lobbying: Governments often face intense lobbying from industries that seek to block, weaken, or delay health policies such as health taxes and restrictions on marketing to children.
Industry Response: Representatives from the food, tobacco, and alcohol industries rejected the criticism, insisting they support dialogue and want to contribute to harm-reduction discussions.
Draft Declaration Concerns: Health groups have warned that the draft political declaration at the UN meeting has already been watered down under industry influence.