South Africa has taken bold steps to tackle the rising prevalence of youth vaping and the surge in illicit tobacco trade by implementing an excise tax on vaping products. The new policy, which was enacted on June 1, 2023, imposes a flat excise duty rate of 2.90 rand...
The WHO guideline provides evidence-based recommendations for Member States on using fiscal policies, such as food taxation and subsidies, to promote healthy diets and influence consumer behaviour. In today’s food environments, consumers face challenges in making...
At the 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Abdelsalam Hammad Djamouss, deputy director-general of Chad’s National Health Insurance Fund (CNAS), reaffirmed his country’s commitment to universal health coverage (UHC). He stressed Chad's holistic approach, which...
A global financing dialogue hosted by WHO and the World Bank highlighted successful strategies and ongoing challenges in financing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health, with countries like the Philippines and Egypt sharing their experiences and best...
The report highlights the urgent need for increased international and domestic investment in non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention and control, as current funding is insufficient to address the significant health burdens, especially in low- and middle-income...
Colombia adopted a section on healthy taxes in the 2022 tax reform. Healthy taxes refer to a progressive and differentiated rate on ultra-processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages starting in November 2023. It is applied in order to discourage the consumption of...
A recent peer-reviewed study reveals the potential of a sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax to significantly enhance healthcare financing in Nigeria. The study utilized a mixed-methods political economy analysis, including a robust modeling exercise to predict the...
This study aims to generate insights into the actors involved in the discourse of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) tax adoption in Indonesia to inform their advocacy and communication efforts using the Advocacy Coalition Framework and Discourse Network Analysis. Since...
In France, theealth Insurance spending has risen by almost 20% between 2018 and 2022 (excluding Covid-19). Patients' out-of-pocket expenses have fallen from 9% in 2011 to 7% in 2021: this is the lowest level in the OECD, after Luxembourg. The government has decided to...
WHO and the World Bank are collaborating to organise the second International dialogue on sustainable financing for NCDs and mental health on 20–21 June 2024. To prepare for this, they are taking feedback through a consultation period from 1 May to 26 May 2024.To...
This commentary elaborates on Thailand's utilization of health taxes on unhealthy goods to health promotion at the population level. Thailand channels these health taxes into the Thai Health Promotion Fund, specifically a 2% surcharge added to the excise tax on...
While rare (orphan) diseases are a significant financial burden for health systems and access to these expensive treatments is limited, Russia has established a foundation, “Circle of Kindness”, funded by 2% of the individual income tax generated by the high-income...
The National Department of Health confirms impending tax hikes to fund the NHI scheme in South Africa, pending President Cyril Ramaphosa's approval. NHI's successful implementation hinges on securing adequate funding, which remains a challenge. The National...
Sugar-laden drinks are linked to obesity and other chronic illnesses. Many countries have implemented sugar taxes on soft drinks, but the WHO says the levels are too low to make a significant difference.The Guardian article titled The cost of dealing with disease is...
The global assessment finds sugar-sweetened beverage taxes are widespread but generally too low to significantly reduce consumption and improve public health. This report provides a global assessment of taxes applied to sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). It describes...
