Critics have outlined that the "Global Health Governance" approach as its conducted by the BMGF can best be understood as "Global Health Imperialism" breaking with the "traditional notions of Westphalian sovereignty" by enforcing capitalist policies on all countries. Also the broader concept of "philanthrocapitalism" is criticised as not addressing the real issue of systemic inequality of capitalism. Instead of real social change organisations such as BMGF represent the interests of "highly sophisticated capitalists who know what they want and how best to get it" – the "Global Health Imperialism" agenda is devoted "to expanding worldwide markets and facilitating commerce on behalf of Western capitalism".
