Health campaigners decry global HIV fund’s deal with Heineken

Monday, February 5, 2018

LONDON (Reuters) – International health campaigners and alcohol concern groups called on a major global HIV and malaria fund on Thursday to end immediately a partnership it had signed with the Dutch brewer Heineken.

In an open letter to the director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, an alliance of more than 2,000 health organizations voiced “deep concern” and said the deal would only help Heineken broaden its marketing reach.

“Transnational corporations producing and aggressively marketing alcohol rely on the harmful use of alcohol for their sales and profits,” the letter said.

It accused companies such as Heineken of undermining and subverting evidence-based alcohol policy implementation “at the same time as they expand distribution networks and marketing to grow their market in low- and middle-income countries”.

The open letter, a copy of which was sent to Reuters, was addressed to the Global Fund’s incoming executive director Peter Sands, its board chair Aida Kurtovic, as well as its interim executive director.


Source: Reuters (link opens in a new window)

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Health Care
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Base of the Pyramid, infectious diseases