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 turns to domestic taxes to close HIV and health funding gaps
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...

Reforming Bangladesh health systems for the future
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...
How can innovative financing options support health system financing for noncommunicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries?
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,...
The case for investment in tobacco control: lessons from four countries in the Americas
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...
Implementation of Taxation on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages by the Government of Barbados
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.

G20 urged to back health taxes on harmful products to combat global rise in chronic disease
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,...

WHA passes resolution to reform health financing for universal health coverage
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...
Tax systems and policy: Crucial for good health and good governance
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...
Smoke economics: lessons from tobacco ban for e-cigarette regulation in Bhutan
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 gender levy on harmful products for health equity
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...
A UK wealth tax for better health
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 call for health taxes, double spending to reform Pakistan’s primary healthcare system
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 return on investment analysis for the 2017 increase in alcohol excise taxation in Lithuania
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...

Health Transformation Plan for Universal Health Coverage in Iran
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...