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...

Swiss Citizens’ Assembly backs sugar tax in health push
The Citizens’ Assembly in Switzerland has proposed a tax on sugary foods and drinks as part of six reforms aimed at improving public health, which also includes higher taxes on alcohol and tobacco, enhanced health literacy, and stricter advertising restrictions. The...

How India’s tobacco taxes fund addiction and ignore prevention
India's tobacco governance reveals a stark contradiction, as the government collects over Rs 75,000 crore in tobacco taxes yet allocates less than Rs 50 crore annually to tobacco control programs, resulting in a chronic underfunding of health initiatives. This...

Health taxes could raise $2.1 trillion for low- and middle-income countries, IMF article argues
Higher taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks could raise $2.1 trillion for low- and middle-income countries while improving public health and reducing reliance on foreign aid, says the IMF.A new Finance & Development article by Masood Ahmed and Minouche...

Pakistan proposes 20% health tax on ultra-processed foods, beverages in FY2025-26 budget
Pakistan's Ministry of Health has proposed a 20% health tax on processed and ultra-processed food and beverages as part of a public health strategy to reduce unhealthy consumption and generate revenue for healthcare spending. Pakistan’s Ministry of Health has proposed...

Africa CDC to Pilot New Health Financing Options
Africa’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention is launching innovative financing solutions to boost domestic health funding among member states, encouraging them to allocate at least 15% of their national budgets to health. This strategy includes piloting new...

Governments explore innovative financing for NCD treatment
NCDs cause nearly 75% of global deaths, yet funding remains scarce. Experts at a Kigali forum called for increased domestic resources through excise taxes, pooled procurement, and public-private partnerships. Governments worldwide are under growing pressure to...
A political economy analysis of the legislative response to unhealthy food and beverage marketing in Chile, Canada and the UK
Published in Globalization and Health by Springer Nature, the article A political economy analysis of the legislative response to unhealthy food and beverage marketing in Chile, Canada and the UK by Fiona Sing, Sally Mackay, Boyd Swinburn, and Kelly Garton explores...
Financing for NCDs and Mental Health: Making the Money Work Better – Policy Brief
This World Bank policy brief explores strategies to improve financing for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health services amid rising demand and constrained health budgets. Despite increasing healthcare needs, government spending remains insufficient,...

UHC-Partnership: Kyrgyzstan controls the prices of essential medicines in pursuit of health for all
Kyrgyzstan’s 2023 price regulation on essential medicines has made hypertension treatment more affordable for hundreds of thousands, improving financial protection. However, the recent introduction of VAT on medicines threatens these gains, prompting ongoing...

Brazil exempts taxes on ultra-processed food
Brazil’s exemption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) from a selective tax risks worsening non-communicable diseases. Evidence links UPFs to chronic illnesses, highlighting the need for stronger fiscal measures. The Lancet reports that Brazil's decision to exclude...

Big Tobacco Continues to Thrive off Health-Harming Products
Tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) industries showed strong financial performance during and after the pandemic, despite initial setbacks. Experts urge raising health taxes to curb consumption and offset industry resistance. This blog post was first...
Tobacco taxation in Latin America and the Caribbean
The OECD report, Tobacco Taxation in Latin America and the Caribbean, delves into the pressing health, economic, and social challenges posed by tobacco use in the region. It highlights significant opportunities for reforming tobacco tax policies to reduce consumption,...

Centre for Global Development on scaling up health taxes in 2025
The Task Force on Fiscal Policy for Health highlights that raising health taxes could save 50 million lives and raise $3.7 trillion, emphasizing the importance of strategic political leadership. The blog post 2025: A Crucial Year for Scaling Up Health Taxes discusses...