Accra: A new initiative titled 'Addressing the Commercial Determinants of Health in Sub-Saharan Africa (ACORDS)' has been officially launched to focus on training and research aimed at informing policies to address public health challenges. The project, which spans from 2024 to 2028, was unveiled at a stakeholder engagement event held in Accra.
According to Ghana News Agency, the project is funded by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR, UK) and involves a partnership between four leading academic and research institutions. These include the Global Health Policy Unit at the University of Edinburgh, PRICELESS at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, the School of Public Health at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana, and the African Population Health Research Center in Kenya.
Mr. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Minister of Health, conveyed through a representative that the project is visionary and aligns with Ghana's efforts to strengthen public health strategies to reduce preventable risks and advance health equity. He emphasized that global frameworks support multisectoral collaboration, transparency, and legal reform, citing WHO's 2025 Global Report on Commercial Determinants of Health, the Framework of Engagement with Non-State Actors (FENSA), WHA74.16, and the Rio Political Declaration as examples.
The Minister highlighted the significant and complex influence of commercial interests on health outcomes, urging collective acknowledgment and action from Ghanaians. He pointed out that commercial determinants of health, such as corporate practices in tobacco, alcohol, ultra-processed foods, digital media, and environmental pollution, are contributing to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and exacerbating health inequities, especially within vulnerable communities. These issues are compounded by aggressive marketing, political lobbying, and inadequate regulatory measures, necessitating strengthened governance, accountability, and alignment with global frameworks.
Professor Jeff Collin from the Global Health Policy at the University of Edinburgh stated that the project aims to develop strategies for managing conflicts of interest and promoting policy coherence to address the commercial determinants of health and tackle NCDs. He noted that global industries involved in the production and distribution of unhealthy products, such as tobacco, alcohol, junk foods, and fossil fuels, are key drivers of these diseases.
Prof Collin explained that the overall goal of the NIHR-funded initiative is to explore how commercial actors influence population health in Sub-Saharan Africa and to inform the development of policies that effectively promote health and sustainable development. Professor Francis B. Zotor of the Fred Newton Binka School of Public Health at UHAS, who chaired the occasion, called for collaborative efforts to address the public health challenges faced by the region.
