North West Public Health Conference 2026 hosted by GMPHN
Shifting the Balance: Local Action on Commercial Influences on Health
The North West Public Health Conference 2026, hosted by Greater Manchester Public Health Network (GMPHN), brought together public health professionals, local authorities, researchers and partners from across the region to explore how local systems can respond to the growing challenge of commercial influences on health.
Chaired by Jilla Burgess-Allen, Director of Public Health for Stockport and GMPHN's lead Director of Public Health for Commercial Determinants of Health, the conference focused on the theme Shifting the Balance: Local Action on Commercial Influences on Health. Delegates were welcomed by Dr Andrew Furber, Regional Director of Public Health for OHID North West and NHS England North West, alongside a video message from Professor Tracy Daszkiewicz, President of the Faculty of Public Health.
The morning keynote presentations from Nason Maani, University of Edinburgh, and Dr May van Schalkwyk, University of Edinburgh, explored why commercial determinants of health matter locally. They provided powerful insights into how industries associated with products such as alcohol, gambling, tobacco and unhealthy food and drink can shape environments, influence decision-making and contribute to health inequalities. Delegates were also introduced to the Actions to Address Commercial Determinants of Health at the Local Authority Level resource, which offers practical approaches for local action. - Welcome | LHGP: Actions to Address CDOH
A highlight of the day was a series of nine case studies showcasing innovative work from across the North West. Presentations covered topics including healthier advertising policies, planning and licensing approaches, tackling gambling harms, restricting promotion of nicotine products, and developing coherent regional strategies to reduce harm from alcohol and unhealthy food and drink. Together, these examples demonstrated that local authorities are already taking meaningful action to create healthier environments and challenge commercial influences on health.
In the afternoon, delegates participated in an interactive exercise examining the tactics used by industries to market and promote health-harming products. This led into discussions on the barriers and enablers to local action, generating valuable ideas about what helps public health teams drive change.
The final keynote session from Anna Brook and Caroline Cerny focused on public opinion, political insights and the value of citizens' juries in building support for action on commercial determinants of health. Their presentations reinforced an important message: there is strong public backing for measures that protect health and reduce harm.
The conference closed with delegates identifying practical actions they could take back to their organisations. The day highlighted the growing momentum across the North West to address commercial determinants of health and demonstrated how collaboration, evidence and local leadership can help shift the balance towards healthier communities.
