PETRA: Prevention of Disease Using Trade Agreements

PETRA will be a unique UK expert and user research and development network. It will examine the evidence on the links between trade and health in respect of the prevention of Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs). It will look at how international trade can improve human health and prevent avoidable harm. It will achieve this by reviewing the existing knowledge on trade and health. PETRA will develop research on the trade measures and policies that will have the highest impact on promoting health and reducing harms, especially where these are caused by trade in unhealthy foods, alcohol and tobacco. This will be achieved through bringing together trade experts with the academic disciplines of public health, economics, environmental sciences (sustainable development/prosperity), public policy and law. The Network will be guided by views from key policy people in the civil service and third sector as well as innovations and learning from other countries and other areas of linked public benefit. The benefits of PETRA will be in addressing a major gap in NCD prevention research. Trade policies and systems have the potential to reduce avoidable harms and make significant improvements to human health. PETRA aims to ensure that there is a solid base of applied research and development to inform public policy and funded research priorities. The beneficiaries and benefits of PETRA will be: General public: by achieving progressive improvements in the public's health especially for future generations. PETRA will seek to improve public understanding of: the impact of trade on human health and the environment, the wider impacts on current and future generations, and the public policy solutions that will improve the public's health. UK Government policy makers: in trade, environment, public health, transport, agriculture, food etc. They will be better informed about the underpinning research and development on the links between trade and health and on practical policy solutions that can be incorporated within trade policy and trade and investment agreements. Charities and professional groups: PETRA will work with respected and evidence-based advocacy groups. The benefits to them will be research informed advocacy for progressive social and environmentally beneficial trade policies and trade and investment agreements. Other countries: there will also be potential benefits for other countries. Trade is governed by reciprocal agreements which should contain common standards. Academics in trade, public health, law, environmental sciences, public policy and economics: the potential benefits to academia will be: being linked into a dedicated community of interest, potential interdisciplinary research collaborations, ability to achieve research impact, research ideas and innovations, and professional development opportunities. Research funders: will have a clear case for short and longer term research priorities for high impact NCD prevention trade measures. Public health professionals: - PETRA aims to increase interest, involvement and literacy in the public health community in health and trade. There is potential to incorporate learning from PETRA's discussions in training and development events and curricula. Due to the long term nature of trade and investment agreements, PETRA will aim to become a self sustaining and interlinked research and development community on the trade and health aspects of the prevention of NCDs. By developing research collaborations PETRA will aim to persuade research funders of the need to fund high impact trade and health research. PETRA will become a national expert resource and seek to establish interdisciplinary centres of academic excellence on trade and health. There will be a demand for this expert capacity as the UK needs to develop trade policy and trade and investment agreements rapidly over at least the next decade.