Political Determinants of Health Collective

A special thank you to our partner, the Collective for the Political Determinants of Health (@Collective_hlth), for collaborating on our recent webinar on the critical forces shaping philanthropic practice and helping drive this important conversation forward. For those who missed it, our webinar highlighted key findings from the recent research paper “Private Foundations and Global Health Governance: A Case Study of the Novo Nordisk Foundation” and explored the rise of philanthrocapitalism, its deep ties to wealth and power, and the governance structures that sustain these dynamics. 💡𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀: • 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗽𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀: We must critically separate genuine philanthropic efforts from entities that use charitable activities as a front for corporate strategy. • 𝗔 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗚𝗮𝗽: The global landscape is plagued by a weak and fragmented regulatory patchwork at the national level, with virtually no oversight for cross-border philanthropic activities or transnational entities. • 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗼 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲, 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀: Our analysis reveals how some foundations use grant-making to directly support their associated corporations. This fusion of charity and profit-making creates significant spillover effects, undermining public accountability and trust. 📺 Watch the full webinar recording here and catch up on all the insights: go.unu.edu/ZcQxM 📄Read the full research paper here: go.unu.edu/YLcRY #UNU #UNUIIGH #GlobalHealth #Philanthrocapitalism

📢 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 | 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: 𝗔 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗼 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 As the 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗼 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 rapidly ascends to become one of the world’s largest foundations, this new UNU-IIGH research paper provides a rigorous analysis of its historical trajectory, distinctive commercial foundation structure, and evolving strategic orientations; elucidating the ways in which its substantial financial resources and expanding international prominence anchor it as a pivotal actor in shaping scientific research and health policy. Spotlighting the potential vulnerabilities and accountability concerns linked to the incursions of powerful private actors (PPAs) in global health governance, the authors raise questions about the porous boundaries between NNF’s philanthropic objectives and commercial interests, especially concerning transparency, research priorities, market incentives, policy directions, and equitable health outcomes. Read the full briefing paper here: go.unu.edu/JaD0l #UNU #UNUIIGH #HealthGovernance #Philanthropy #Philanthrocapitalism #NovoNordiskFoundation #GlobalHealth #Power #Accountability #Commercialfoundation #PPA #GlobalHealthGovernance #HealthPolicy #Transparency #GHAgenda