ArticleGlobalization and health2019
The health impacts of extractive industry transnational corporations: a study of Rio Tinto in Australia and Southern Africa.
Article in Globalization and health, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Exploring prioritization of wellbeing and health impacts for mining communities during the mining life cycle within the sub-Saharan Africa context: a systematic review.BMC public health · 2025Pooled it
- Exploring methods to assess environmental health inequalities in health impact assessments of local interventions: a systematic review within the JA PreventNCD project.Frontiers in public health · 2025Pooled it
- Toward Monitoring and Addressing the Commercial Determinants of Health: Where Can We Go From Here?The Milbank quarterly · 2025Article
- Can health impact assessment help tackle commercial determinants of health and support a wellbeing economy?Health promotion international · 2024Review
- Corporate activities that influence population health: a scoping review and qualitative synthesis to develop the HEALTH-CORP typology.Globalization and health · 2024Article
- 'A recipe for cultural disaster!'- a case study of Woolworths Group's proposal to build an alcohol megastore in Darwin, Northern Territory.Globalization and health · 2023Article
- Framing Commercial Determinants of Health: An Assessment of Potential for Guiding More Effective Responses to the Public Health Crises of the 21The Milbank quarterly · 2023Article
- National Public Health Surveillance of Corporations in Key Unhealthy Commodity Industries - A Scoping Review and Framework Synthesis.International journal of health policy and management · 2023Article
- A World Beyond Transnational Corporations: Meeting Human Rather Than Corporate Need Comment on "'Part of the Solution': Food Corporation Strategies for Regulatory Capture and Legitimacy".International journal of health policy and management · 2022Article
- The commercial determinants of Indigenous health and well-being: a systematic scoping review.BMJ global health · 2022Article
- Assessing the health impacts of transnational corporations: a case study of Carlton and United Breweries in Australia.Globalization and health · 2022Article
- Article
- Associations between Natural Resource Extraction and Incidence of Acute and Chronic Health Conditions: Evidence from Tanzania.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Short-term effects of national-level natural resource rents on life expectancy: A cross-country panel data analysis.PloS one · 2021Article
- Health impacts of industrial mining on surrounding communities: Local perspectives from three sub-Saharan African countries.PloS one · 2021Article
- An overview of the commercial determinants of health.Globalization and health · 2020Review
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOperations of transnational corporations (TNCs) affect population health through production methods, shaping social determinants of health, or by influencing regulation of their activities. Research on community exposures to TNC practices and policies has been limited. Our research on extractive industries examined Rio Tinto in Australia and Southern Africa to test methods for assessing the health impacts of corporates in high and middle income jurisdictions with different regulatory frameworks.
methodsWe adapted existing Health Impact Assessment methods. Data identifying potential impacts were sourced through media analysis, document analysis, company literature and semi-structured interviews. The data were mapped against a corporate health impact assessment framework (CHIA) which included Rio Tinto's political and business practices; productions; and workforce, social, environmental and economic conditions.
resultsBoth positive and detrimental aspects of Rio Tinto's operations were identified. Requirements imposed by Rio Tinto on its global supply chain are likely to have positive health impacts for workers. However, political lobbying and membership of representative organisations can influence government policy in ways that are unfavourable to health and equity. Positive impacts include provision of direct employment under decent working conditions, but countered by an increase in precariousness of employment. Commitments to upholding sustainable development principles are undermined by limited site remediation and other environmental impacts. Positive contributions are made to national and local economies but then undermined by business strategies that include tax minimisation.
conclusionOur study confirmed that it is possible to undertake a CHIA on an extractive industry TNC. The different methods provided sufficient information to understand the need to strengthen regulations that are conducive to health; the opportunity for Rio Tinto to extend corporate responsibility initiatives and support their social licence to operate; and for civil society actors to inform their advocacy towards improving health and equity outcomes from TNC operations.
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