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A leadership program for senior state government officials who are committed to improving population health.
The Fund focuses on creating an affordable health care system built on strong primary care and partnerships that improve health outcomes for all.
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Advancing policies that create a more prevention- and primary care-oriented health system.
Improving population health through policies that contain health care cost growth.
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The Milbank Memorial Fund is a private foundation that works to improve population health and health equity.
The Future of Population Health (Volume 101)
Quarterly Article
Nicholas Freudenberg
June 2026
March 2026
September 2025
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Policy Points:
Since emerging as a concept in the first years of the 21st century,1–3 the term commercial determinants of health has gained growing attention from researchers, public health professionals, and activists. Defined simply in 2013 as “factors that influence health which stem from the profit motive,”4 the commercial determinants of health (CDH)1 framework has the potential to inform public health policy, practice, and research that can more effectively overcome the most serious public health challenges of the current era. In this Perspective, I describe the strengths and accomplishments of this framework, analyze its limitations, and suggest directions for CDH research, practice, policy, education, and leadership.