WHO pushes for 50 percent price rise through taxes on sugar, alcohol and tobacco
The United Nations health agency said the move would help cut consumption of the products, which contribute to diseases like diabetes and some cancers, as well as raising money at a time when development aid is shrinking and public debt rising.
'Health taxes are one of the most efficient tools we have,' said Jeremy Farrar, WHO assistant-director general of health promotion and disease prevention and control. 'It's time to act.'
The WHO launched the push, which it is called '3 by 35' at the UN Finance for Development conference in Seville.
WHO said that its tax initiative could raise $1 trillion by 2035 based on evidence from health taxes in countries such as Colombia and South Africa.
The WHO has backed tobacco taxes and price rises for decades, and has called for taxes on alcohol and sugary drinks in recent years, but this is the first time it has suggested a target price rise for all three products. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the conference that the taxes could help governments 'adjust to the new reality' and bolster their own health systems with the money raised.
As an example, it would mean a government in a middle-income country raising taxes on the product to push the price up from $4 today to $10 by 2035, taking into account inflation, said WHO health economist Guillermo Sandoval. Nearly 140 countries had already raised tobacco taxes and therefore prices by over 50 percent on average between 2012 and 2022, the WHO added.
Sandoval said the WHO was also considering broader taxation recommendations, including on ultra-processed food, after the agency finalizes its definition of that type of food in the coming months. But he added that the agency expected pushback from the industries involved.
The initiative is also backed by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and involves support for countries who want to take action.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Arab News
6 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan PM stresses raising awareness to break stigma, curb infections on World Hepatitis Day
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday stressed the need to raise awareness against hepatitis to break the stigma surrounding the disease and prevent new infections, as the world marks World Hepatitis Day today. Every year on July 28 the international community marks World Hepatitis Day to raise awareness about the importance of stepping up national and international efforts against the disease, encourage actions and engagement by individuals, partners and the public. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), almost 12 million people in Pakistan are suffering from hepatitis B or C. Each year brings about 150,000 new cases of the disease. Major risk factors for the transmission of hepatitis B and C infection include therapeutic injections, syringe reuse, surgery, improper sterilization of invasive medical devices, blood transfusion, hospitalization and sharing of razors from barbers. 'Raising awareness about hepatitis is essential not only to break the stigma surrounding this disease but also to prevent new infections and ensure timely treatment for those affected,' Sharif was quoted as saying by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). The prime minister noted that the risk for hepatitis infections is particularly high in rural and under-resourced areas due to poor infection control practices. He said the government is taking concrete measures against the disease, which includes a national program that has already been launched to eliminate hepatitis C. 'The goal is to screen over 165 million people and provide free treatment to all positive cases by 2030,' Sharif said. 'This is a national movement that reflects our collective commitment to protecting lives and securing the future.' Sharif called for encouraging people to get tested for hepatitis, seek medical advice and not refrain from treatment due to fear or stigma. He said Pakistan's health care professionals, researchers and frontline workers are working tirelessly to curb the disease. 'On this day, we renew our collective responsibility to build a healthy, safe, and hepatitis-free Pakistan,' he concluded. In a separate message, President Asif Ali Zardari said viral hepatitis continues to pose a public health challenge for Pakistan. He noted that millions of people in the country are silently suffering due to late diagnosis, lack of awareness and inadequate health care services. 'He said we must implement comprehensive strategies that combine mass awareness campaigns, effective vaccination drives, timely screening and access to treatment,' state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.

Al Arabiya
18 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
WHO says malnutrition reaching ‘alarming levels' in Gaza
Malnutrition rates are reaching 'alarming levels' in the Gaza Strip, the World Health Organization warned Sunday, saying the 'deliberate blocking' of aid was entirely preventable and had cost many lives. 'Malnutrition is on a dangerous trajectory in the Gaza Strip, marked by a spike in deaths in July,' the WHO said in a statement, adding: 'Most of these people were declared dead on arrival at health facilities or died shortly after, their bodies showing clear signs of severe wasting.'


Asharq Al-Awsat
a day ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
WHO Warns Gaza Nears Starvation as Malnutrition Spikes
The head of the World Health Organization warned on Wednesday that over 2 million people in Gaza face starvation, citing a 'deadly surge' in malnutrition and related diseases. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said acute malnutrition centers in Gaza are full of patients, but lack adequate supplies. He said that rates of acute malnutrition exceed 10% and that among pregnant and breastfeeding women, more than 20% are malnourished, often severely. 'The hunger crisis is being accelerated by the collapse of aid pipelines,' Tedros said, adding that 95% of households in Gaza face severe water shortages. Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO representative for Occupied Palestinian Territories, said there were more than 30,000 children under 5 with acute malnutrition in Gaza so far this year, and that there had been 21 deaths. He noted that many of the UN health agency's supplies were destroyed after its main warehouse was destroyed during attacks in Deir al-Balah on Sunday. Meanwhile, Israel rejected a Gaza starvation warning from rights groups. Israel's Foreign Ministry accused the groups of 'echoing Hamas' propaganda.' It said it has allowed around 4,500 aid trucks to enter Gaza since lifting a complete blockade in May, and that more than 700 are waiting to be picked up and distributed by the United Nations. That's an average of around 70 trucks a day, the lowest rate of the war and far below the 500-600 trucks a day the UN says are needed, and which entered during a six-week ceasefire earlier this year. The UN says it has struggled to deliver aid inside Gaza because of Israeli military restrictions, ongoing fighting, and a breakdown of law and order. In the letter issued Wednesday, 115 human rights and charity groups said they were watching their own colleagues, as well as the Palestinians they serve, 'waste away.'