Since 2000, Rwanda has made remarkable progress toward universal health coverage (UHC) through a Community-Based Health Insurance (CBHI) system, but now faces chronic financial sustainability challenges as it aims for higher health-care standards under Vision 2050. A...
Tanzania aims to raise Sh586.4 billion through new domestic taxes to close HIV and health financing gaps, as global donor support declines. The move marks a strategic shift in health financing.Tanzania has announced plans to raise Sh586.4 billion through new domestic...
Bangladesh's health sector faces urgent challenges as it approaches the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in achieving Universal Health Coverage. The Health Sector Reform Commission Report 2025 proposes significant constitutional amendments and systemic...
As noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) place increasing strain on health systems in low- and middle-income countries, the need for sustainable financing solutions is more urgent than ever. With development assistance stagnating and domestic budgets stretched thin,...
This study in the Pan American Journal of Public Health from 2022 explores the case of investing in tobacco control in Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Suriname. Health taxes, for example on tobacco products, are considered opportune for both reducing unhealthy...
This 2016 policy brief produced by the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (with the support of the NCD Alliance) provides an overview of the approaches used by the Barbados Ministry of Finance in the adoption of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxation.
To tackle the global rise in non-communicable diseases, researchers urge the G20 to support stronger health taxes on harmful products like sugary drinks, tobacco, alcohol, and ultra-processed foods.By 2030, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, cancer,...
The World Health Assembly has approved a Nigeria-led resolution urging stronger domestic health financing and reduced out-of-pocket costs to accelerate progress toward universal health coverage.The 78th World Health Assembly (WHA) has adopted a landmark resolution...
The policy brief “Tax Systems and Policy: Crucial for Good Health and Good Governance”, published by the United Nations University International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH) in May 2025, reframes taxation as a central pillar of equitable and sustainable...
E-cigarettes and Vaping is a growing public health concern among adolescents in Bhutan. Despite a history of stringent tobacco regulations, the rise in vaping and related health issues indicates a need to update laws and impose higher taxes to discourage their use....
A new article in Think Global Health calls for a gender levy on tobacco and alcohol taxes to fund gender-smart health, combat NCDs, and address the industry's manipulation of gender norms.A recent article in Think Global Health by Kent Buse, Jeni Klugman, and Elhadj...
In the face of deepening health inequalities and a crisis of underfunding in the UK’s National Health Service, a growing body of experts argues that it is time to revisit the idea of a wealth tax. With over four million children living in relative poverty, and with...
Experts have proposed comprehensive reforms to Pakistan’s primary healthcare system, advocating for health taxes, a shift to prepayment financing, and increased public health spending to improve access and reduce financial burdens on households. The symposium...
A recent study published in Addiction by Jürgen Rehm, Pol Rovira, Ahmed S. Hassan, Claire de Oliveira, Shannon Lange, Mark J. Thompson, Ilona Tamutienė, Vaida Liutkutė-Gumarov, and colleagues evaluates the impact of Lithuania’s 2017 alcohol excise tax increase. The...
Iran's primary healthcare system features a robust network supported by community health workers and has successfully expanded urban services to address significant health challenges. The Health Transformation Plan initiated in 2014 has made substantial strides in...
