[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”!!! PLEASE DO NOT EDIT !!!” _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”!!! PLEASE DO NOT EDIT !!!” _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”TO BE EDITED – SUMMARY – Click on the WHEEL icon to open the textarea where you can paste or type your summary. The summary condenses the main points for the news that starts below. The summary is in bold and not longer than 300 characters, including spaces. The counter at the bottom can help.” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||20px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Health taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks promote public health and generate significant revenue, crucial for economic growth and resilience. When done efficiently they can greatly enhance population health.<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”TO BE EDITED – TEXT OF THE NEWS – BLOCK 1 – Click on the WHEEL icon to open the textarea where you can paste or type your news. PLEASE USE ONLY THE FEATURED IMAGE FUNCTION on your right column to add the image.” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||1em||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The World Bank’s<\/a> latest blog in their “Investing in Health” series, titled “Smart health taxes: A win for public health and the economy<\/a>,” highlights key discussions from the 7th Annual Health Financing Forum. The forum emphasised the critical role of health taxes<\/strong> on tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks in promoting healthier lifestyles<\/strong> and generating significant revenue.<\/p>\n With the slowest five-year economic growth in decades, innovative fiscal policies like health taxes are essential. These taxes can reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases<\/strong> and generate substantial revenue, with tobacco and alcohol taxes alone potentially contributing up to 0.6% and 0.3% of GDP, respectively.<\/p>\n Key strategies include regular rate increases, targeted consumption structures, and inflation indexing. The blog also underscores the importance of earmarking revenues for health programs and strategic revenue use to maximise benefits.<\/p>\n