The Galen Centre urges a national health and social insurance scheme with employer-employee contributions, removal of sugar subsidies, and scrapping of outpatient/specialist charges at public facilities to better fund health, aged care, and combat diabetes. The Galen...
Cameroonians are wondering whether health taxes could be part of the answer to tackling the challenge of the health budget deficit. These taxes can have a dual action, generating financial resources and reducing costly non-transmissible diseases. In September 2025,...
As global rates of obesity, diabetes, and other non-communicable diseases continue to rise, governments are increasingly turning to fiscal policies as tools for improving public health. Among the most debated and widely adopted measures are sugar taxes—levies designed...
Zimbabwe has finalised its National Health Insurance Bill, set for Cabinet approval and rollout by 2026. Funded through earmarked taxes, it guarantees full primary care coverage and scales up at higher levels, aiming to reduce out-of-pocket costs and ensure equitable,...
A new Think Global Health analysis argues that health taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks could save lives, generate revenue, and strengthen Africa’s health systems.African governments face mounting health and fiscal pressures, and a new Think Global Health...
Obesity is straining Germany’s health system, costing up to €90B yearly. With half of adults overweight, politics remain divided: conservatives trust markets, while Greens push sugar taxes and VAT reform. Experts say real change needs political courage, not just...
Sanjeev Gupta and Joao Jalles highlight how health taxes can save lives, curb harmful consumption, and unlock vast untapped revenues for stronger, fairer health systemsA Center for Global Development blog by Sanjeev Gupta and Joao Jalles explores how health taxes can...
Zimbabwe plans to launch its National Health Insurance (NHI) in June 2026 to expand universal health coverage, funded through earmarked taxes. With only 13% covered by medical aid, the NHI will target the uninsured majority, aiming to cut out-of-pocket costs and...
Esta publicación del Banco Mundial de 2023 profundiza en la capacidad de prestación de servicios para las enfermedades no transmisibles (ENT) en la nación insular de Dominica, en el Caribe. Los aspectos financieros incluyen la financiación de los recursos humanos para...
Uganda’s health sector faces funding gaps after donor cuts, forcing higher out-of-pocket costs and disrupting HIV, TB, and maternal health services. Stakeholders urge domestic financing, innovative taxes, and a national insurance scheme to protect vulnerable groups...
At the Africa Health Sovereignty Summit, leaders led by Ghana’s President Mahama and ex-Nigerian president Obasanjo called for African-funded health systems, rejecting aid dependency. WHO’s Tedros urged health taxes, efficiency, and sovereignty to counter massive aid...
Out-of-pocket health spending in the Philippines hit ₱615B in 2024, 42.7% of total healthcare costs, exposing families to debt as government schemes lag behind rising expenses. Experts urge reforms and new financing tools like sin taxes to ease the unsustainable...
Health taxes on products like tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks are a highly effective yet underused tool in Africa for reducing disease and premature death, while simultaneously generating domestic revenue. These taxes can help governments save lives, lessen...
The EU plans a 15% levy on member states’ tobacco tax revenues, channeling €11.2B a year into its budget. Dramatic new tax hikes aim to curb smoking and expand funds, with measures factoring in declining tobacco use and anticipated cuts to healthcare costs.The...
Ethiopia’s excise tax reforms on tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks showcase political and multisectoral leadership, generating revenue and reducing NCDs while advancing Universal Health Coverage and health system resilience.Ethiopia is emerging as a leader in health...
