The Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has made case for health taxes as one of the most powerful yet underused tools for protecting lives and strengthening public health.
Speaking during a WHO webinar on Sugar-Sweetened Beverage (SSB) taxation, Dr Tedros painted a sobering picture of global health challenges, beginning with Sudan, where despite sustained efforts by WHO and partners, more than one-third of health facilities remain non-functional.
He called for unrestricted and safe access to all parts of Sudan to restore health services, stressing the urgent need for the protection of civilians, health workers, humanitarian personnel, and patients, while also urging all parties to bring an end to the conflict.
Turning to the focus of the webinar, the WHO DG described health taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks as a proven strategy to reduce consumption of harmful products, prevent disease, and ease the burden on overstretched health systems.
“Health taxes help people live healthier lives,” he said, “while generating sustainable revenue that governments can reinvest in health, education, and social protection.”
Dr Tedros recalled that last year, the WHO launched the “3 by 35” Initiative, aimed at supporting countries to raise the real prices of tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks by at least 50 per cent by 2035 through taxation.
He however, warned that health taxes are not a ‘set-and-forget’ solution
“For them to work, they must be carefully designed, aligned with public health goals, and regularly adjusted,” he stated.
This is as new WHO reports reveal weak taxation worldwide
Since 2008, the organisation has tracked tobacco taxation through its Global Tobacco Epidemic reports.
Now, for the first time, the organisation has released new global reports on alcohol and sugary drink taxes, and the findings are concerning.
“In most countries, these taxes are simply too low to be effective,” Dr Tedros revealed. Many are poorly designed, infrequently updated, and rarely linked to health objectives, he added.
As a result, alcohol and sugary drinks have become more affordable, even as the diseases associated with their consumption continue to rise, placing growing pressure on families, health systems, and national budgets.
Proof that health taxes work
Despite political resistance and strong opposition from powerful industries, Dr Tedros emphasised that countries that have implemented health taxes effectively are already seeing results.
Philippines: A major tax reform on tobacco and alcohol in 2013 increased revenues more than fivefold, helping expand national health insurance coverage to over 15 million families.
Lithuania: A significant alcohol tax increase in 2017 was linked to an almost 5 per cent reduction in all-cause mortality the following year.
United Kingdom: The sugar drinks levy introduced in 2018 reduced sugar consumption and generated £338 million in revenue in 2024 alone, while contributing to lower obesity rates among girls aged 10-11, particularly in deprived communities.
Momentum is growing globally. In 2024 alone, Malaysia, Mauritius, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam introduced or increased taxes on tobacco, alcohol, sugary drinks, or all three.
In 2025, India introduced a new excise duty on tobacco, while Saudi Arabia rolled out a tiered tax on sugary drinks, with higher sugar content attracting higher taxes.
WHO, Dr Tedros said, stands ready to support more countries to adopt health taxes as part of a transition towards sustainable, self-reliant health financing.
Cervical cancer elimination within reach
The WHO director-general also used the occasion to highlight Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, describing cervical cancer as one of the most preventable yet deadly cancers, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
He reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to eliminating cervical cancer globally, guided by the 90-70-90 targets by 2030:
90% of girls are vaccinated against HPV
70% of women screened
90% of women with cervical cancer or pre-cancer treated
Progress, he said, is encouraging. Nearly 60 countries have introduced HPV vaccination, while 162 countries now include the vaccine in national immunisation schedules.
About 65 per cent of girls worldwide live in countries where HPV vaccination is available, a figure expected to rise to over 80 per cent soon, as more countries, including India, come on board.
Success stories are already emerging. Australia reported zero cervical cancer cases among women under 25 in 2021, while Rwanda is on track to meet elimination targets by 2027, having vaccinated 77 per cent of girls and screened over 70 per cent of women.
From Brazil to China, Pakistan to Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone to Timor-Leste, dozens of countries are scaling up vaccination, screening, and treatment.
“Eliminating cervical cancer is not a pipe dream,” Dr Tedros concluded. “It is achievable, and we have the tools to do it.”
Chizoba Ogbeche
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