Scottish public health conference was cancelled after Nestlé emerged as sponsor

A conference on tackling public health issues that was due to take place at the end of May in Scotland was cancelled after senior doctors complained that the lead sponsor was linked with promoting unhealthy practices.

Building a Healthier, Fairer Scotland, which was scheduled for 27 May in Edinburgh, was billed by its organisers as “Scotland’s premier annual public health conference.” Speakers intended to lead discussions on a number of key issues including health inequalities, obesity, alcohol consumption, smoking, and older people’s health. But after it emerged that Nestlé would sponsor the conference, nine members of the Scottish Public Health Network—which brings together professionals involved in improving health—wrote to the conference chairperson to complain about the choice of backer. …