Every year, more than 10 million people die unnecessarily from consuming tobacco, alcohol and sugary beverages. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises constraining fiscal space, financing for health care and social services is stagnating or facing cuts – endangering progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Evidence shows that health taxes are among the most effective measures to reduce consumption of harmful products, especially when embedded in a strategic public health approach. Yet, global implementation remains vastly underutilized. For instance, WHO’s 2021 Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic found that only 13% of the world’s population is protected by tobacco taxes at best-practice levels. Governments are missing a cost-effective opportunity to improve health, raise revenue, advance equity and save lives.
To explore how to accelerate the implementation of health taxes, this lunch-time discussion will consider:
- What are the barriers for policy-makers to accelerate health taxes implementation?
- How can health research and learning help overcome these barriers?
- How can global institutions and agencies best support the effective implementation of health taxes?
- Helen CLARK, Board Chair, Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research and Former Prime Minister of New Zealand
- Ana AKAUOLA, Minister of Health, Tonga
- Viroj TANGCHAROENSATHIEN, Senior Advisor, International Health Policy Program, Thailand
- Koku AWOONOR-WILLIAMS, Senior Advisor to the Minister of Health, Ghana
- Alison COX, Policy and Advocacy Director, NCD Alliance
- Jo BIRCKMAYER, Public Health Advisor, Bloomberg Philanthropies
- Jeremias PAUL, Unit Head, Fiscal Policies for Health, WHO
- Robert MARTEN, Unit Head, Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, World Health Organization
- Kumanan RASANATHAN, Executive Director, Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, World Health Organization