Media

Unpacking the Polycrisis: Transforming Capitalism’s Existential Health Threats

Polycrisis has become the new term to reference the multiple intersecting crises that pose global health threats. This talk unpacks some of these crises, beginning with the chaotic disruptions to health and economic order engineered by Donald Trump’s second presidency. It identifies some of the key elements of Trump’s ‘disruption’ of the old neoliberal world order and locates them in the longer history of predatory capitalism and its consumptogenic necessity. It concludes with a discussion of potential for alternative economic paradigms; many embedded under the rubric of ‘wellbeing economics.’

Globalization and Health Equity in the Shadow of a Pandemic — Grand Rounds with Ronald Labonté

Professor Ronald Labonté has delivers a distinguished Grand Rounds lecture at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Drawing from his award-winning text, Labonté applies his structural analysis to the COVID-19 era, examining how vaccine nationalism, corporate patent monopolies, and fossil fuel exploration worsen the intersections of systemic poverty and ecological collapse. True to his foundation in radical scholarship, the presentation challenges post-pandemic recovery models and outlines urgent fiscal interventions—such as global wealth taxes and financial transaction regulations—necessary to shift the global economy toward health equity.

Health Equity in a Globalizing Era: Past Challenges, Future Prospects

Author and researcher Ronald Labonté has officially launched his latest book, Health Equity in a Globalizing Era. This comprehensive text explores the complex dynamics of economic market integration and its cascading effects on health policy, offering essential perspectives for the field. Rooted in decades of radical public health advocacy, the work remains a unique, critical space that directly challenges corporate governance, systemic inequalities, and the ecological boundaries of continuous economic growth.

PHM PMAC 2022 - Post-pandemic Global Economics: Restructure, Reform, or just Revitalize?

This session explores the complex dynamics of economic recovery, featuring essential perspectives on how the global economy must be restructured to prioritize health equity and environmental sustainability. As an activist-driven initiative dedicated to radical scholarship and social justice, the webcast offers a vital, community-minded space for charting alternative economic paths in a post-pandemic world

Selected Articles & Commentary

Explore a curated archive of critical analysis and radical scholarship. This collection features articles, commentary, and media appearances spanning decades of research on global health equity, political determinants of health, and the intersection of public policy and social justice.

Labonté R. “Global Health Watch 7: Mobilizing for Health Justice,” The Collective Blog September 16, 2025. https://www.globe.uio.no/english/research/networks/the-collective-for-the-political-determinants-of-health/blog/ronald-labonte/global-health-watch-7-mobilizing-for-health-justic.html

Lexchin J, Tenni B, Gleeson D, Labonté R. “Africa desperately needs mpox vaccines. But donations from rich countries won’t fix this or the next health emergency.” The Conversation September 9, 2024. https://theconversation.com/africa-desperately-needs-mpox-vaccines-but-donations-from-rich-countries-wont-fix-this-or-the-next-health-emergency-237747
Labonté R. “Beyond degrowth: can a wellbeing economy save us?” https://www.sum.uio.no/english/research/networks/the-collective-for-the-political-determinants-of-health/blog/ronald-labonte/rebranding-degrowth-can-a-wellbeing-economy-save-u.html July 18, 2024.

Podcast: Labonté R. and Paremoer, L. “Trade and health: how new trade treaties govern governments,” February 13, 2023 https://phmovement.org/ghwpodcast-episode-6-trade-and-health/
Podcast: Labonté R. “From pre-pandemic pathologies to post-pandemic hopefulness,” January 9, 2023 https://phmovement.org/ghwpodcast-episode-1-from-pre-pandemic-pathologies-to-post-pandemic-hopefulness-en-es-fr-ar/

Labonté R. “We still need a vaccine patent waiver, but not the one on offer at the World Trade Organization meeting,: The Conversation, June 5, 2022. https://theconversation.com/we-still-need-a-vaccine-patent-waiver-but-not-the-one-on-offer-at-the-world-trade-organization-meeting-181235
Baum F., Paremoer L., Flavel J., Musolino C., and Labonté R. “The Sustainable Development Goals, setbacks, and COVID-19,” Intouch Public Health, May 18, 2022. https://intouchpublichealth.net.au/the-sustainable-development-goals-setbacks-and-covid-19/
Labonté R. and Bodini, C. “Activists’ guide for a healthier world: Global Health Watch 6,” PLoS blogs, April 29, 2022. https://speakingofmedicine.plos.org/2022/04/27/activists-guide-for-a-healthier-world-global-health-watch-6/
Labonté R. “Warning: Capitalism may be dangerous to our health. Avoid consuming,” April 22, 2022. https://www.sum.uio.no/english/research/networks/the-collective-for-the-political-determinants-of-health/blog/ronald-labonte/warning-capitalism-may-be-dangerous-to-our-health..html

Labonté R. (and others) “How patent laws get in the way of the global coronavirus Canada’vaccine rollout” The Conversation February 20, 2021 (podcast and transcript) https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-vaccine-whats-getting-in-the-way-of-the-global-rollout-the-conversation-weekly-podcast-155432
Labonté R., Baker, B., “Dummy’s guide to how trade rules affect access to COVID-19 vaccines,” The Conversation January 9, 2021 https://theconversation.com/dummys-guide-to-how-trade-rules-affect-access-to-covid-19-vaccines-152897

Labonté R., Johri, M., “Canada’s opposition to a WTO proposal hurts developing countries’ pandemic fight,” Globe and Mail December 5, 2020. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-canadas-opposition-to-a-wto-proposal-hurts-developing-countries/
Labonté R., Johri, M., “COVID-19 drug and vaccine patents are putting profit before people,” The Conversation November 5, 2020 https://theconversation.com/covid-19-drug-and-vaccine-patents-are-putting-profit-before-people-149270
Labonté R., Plamondon, K., Johri, M., Murthy, S., « Le Canada achète beaucoup de vaccins contre la Covid-19. Voici pourquoi il devrait faire plus pour les pays pauvres » Le Conversation October 6, 2020 https://theconversation.com/le-canada-achete-beaucoup-de-vaccins-contre-la-covid-19-voici-pourquoi-il-devrait-faire-plus-pour-les-pays-pauvres-147427
Labonté R., Plamondon, K., Johri, M., Murthy, S., “Canada’s ‘me first’ COVID-19 vaccine strategy may come at the cost of global health,” The Conversation September 27, 2020 https://theconversation.com/canadas-me-first-covid-19-vaccine-strategy-may-come-at-the-cost-of-global-health-146908
Labonté R., Lencucha, R., Moyo, T., “Think Malawi. Think Tobacco. Think again.” Health Policy and Planning Debated June 17, 2020 http://blogs.lshtm.ac.uk/hppdebated/2020/06/17/think-malawi-think-tobacco-think-again/
Ruckert, A., Carabin, H., Labonté R., “Coronavirus : stopper la pandémie réelle, et celle de la peur” The Conversation February 3, 2020 https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-stopper-la-pandemie-reelle-et-celle-de-la-peur-131007
Ruckert, A., Carabin, H., Labonté R., “Coronavirus: Fear of Pandemic or Pandemic of Fear?” The Conversation January 31, 2020 https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-fear-of-a-pandemic-or-a-pandemic-of-fear-130934

Labonté R., Gleeson, D., Crosbie, E., McNamara, C. “The new NAFTA's assault on public health” The Conversation May 21, 2019 http://theconversation.com/the-new-naftas-assault-on-public-health-116918
Drope, Goma, Labonté, et al, Opinion: “Tobacco companies will not bring about sustainable development”, Devex March 5, 2019 https://www.devex.com/news/opinion-tobacco-companies-will-not-bring-about-sustainable-development-94308

Labonté, R, “Global health disruptors: 2008 financial crisis” BMJ Opinion, November 28, 2018 https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2018/11/28/global-health-disruptors-2008-financial-crisis/
Labonté, R, Sanders, D., Van de Pas, R., “Whither the Code in the Scrap the Cap Campaign?” BMJ Opinion, June 18 2018. https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2018/06/18/whither-the-who-code-in-the-scrap-the-cap-campaign/
Sanders, D., Labonté, R, Legge D., “Managing the conflicts between private interests and public responsibility,” BMJ Opinion, Feb.8 2018. http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2018/02/08/managing-the-conflicts-between-private-interests-and-public-responsibility/
Lencucha, R., Drope, J., Labonté, R “How economic development norms are hurting global tobacco control,” Health Policy and Planning Debated LSHTM, 6 April 2018. http://blogs.lshtm.ac.uk/hppdebated/2018/04/10/how-economic-development-norms-are-hurting-global-tobacco-control/
Labonté, R “How NAFTA will make us fat if the U.S. has its way,” The Conversation, 4 April 2018, http://theconversation.com/how-nafta-will-make-us-fat-if-the-u-s-has-its-way-94198
Labonté, R et al. “Big Tobacco woos African farmers with bogus promises of prosperity,” 1 January 2018, https://theconversation.com/big-tobacco-woos-african-farmers-with-bogus-promises-of-prosperity-88509

Hussain, S., Labonté, R “There Are Barriers To The World We All Want,” 24 November 2017 http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/development-unplugged/there-are-barriers-to-the-world-we-all-want_a_23275670/
Labonté, R “There’s a surprising cause of obesity you’ve probably never thought of,,” World Economic Forum, October 23, 2017, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/10/theres-a-suprising-connection-to-obesity-we-havent-even-considered
Labonté, R “The hidden connection between obesity, heart disease and trade,” The Conversation, October 18, 2017, https://theconversation.com/the-hidden-connection-between-obesity-heart-disease-and-trade-85883.
- Republished and updated October 24 at: http://www.cips-cepi.ca/2017/10/24/the-hidden-connection-between-obesity-heart-disease-and-trade/
Labonté, R “Zombie Trans Pacific Partnership agreement lurches on,” The Conversation, June 24, 2017. https://theconversation.com/zombie-trans-pacific-partnership-agreement-lurches-on-78378

Ruckert, A., Labonté, R “The Transpacific Partnership Threatens the Health of Canadians,” September 30, 2015, Healthy Debate CA. http://healthydebate.ca/opinions/trans-pacific-partnership-and-health
Ruckert, A., Labonté, R., Schram, A. “The Final Push: Canada and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Deal.” July 15, 2015, CIPSBLOGS University of Ottawa. https://www.cips-cepi.ca/2015/07/15/the-final-push-canada-and-the-trans-pacific-partnership-trade-deal/
Labonté, R “Medical tourism isn’t always a fair deal for developing countries,” The Conversation, February 25, 2015, https://theconversation.com/medical-tourism-isnt-always-a-fair-deal-for-developing-countries-37691
Labonté, R “The Global Back Story to the Ebola Outbreak.” February 13 2015, CIPSBLOG University of Ottawa. https://www.cips-cepi.ca/2015/02/12/the-global-backstory-to-the-ebola-outbreak/

Labonté, R “Ebola and global health politics: An open letter.” December 17, 2014. Open Democracy: https://www.opendemocracy.net/open-security/experts-from-range-of-disciplines/ebola-and-global-health-politics-open-letter (with a number of international health experts)
Schram, A., Labonté, R, Khatter, K. “The Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement and public health: Why we should be concerned,” Open Medicine, August 12th 2014. https://researchportalplus.anu.edu.au/en/publications/the-trans-pacific-partnership-agreement-and-public-health-why-we-/
Labonté, R, Schram, A. “Time for trade ministers to think about public health,” Toronto Star, February 21, 2014. https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/time-for-trade-ministers-to-think-about-public-health/article_ea3e94d8-9450-55dd-861a-3eab15cfc791.html
Labonté, R “Time for an Open Debate on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement,” CIPSBLOG University of Ottawa, February 18 2014. https://www.cips-cepi.ca/2014/02/18/time-for-an-open-debate-on-the-trans-pacific-partnership-agreement/

Labonté, R “Canada Weakens Opposition to U.S. Proposals on Intellectual Property Rights,” CIPSBLOG University of Ottawa, December 13 2013. https://www.cips-cepi.ca/2013/12/13/canada-weakens-opposition-to-u-s-proposals-on-intellectual-property-rights/
Labonté, R , “Canada Must Hold Firm in Opposing US Efforts to Expand Intellectual Property Rights,” CIPSBLOG University of Ottawa, November 27 2013. https://www.cips-cepi.ca/2013/11/27/canada-must-hold-firm-in-opposing-us-efforts-to-expand-intellectual-property-rights/