When using taxes to promote healthier diets, policymakers are faced with considerations such as what products to tax, what type of tax to implement and what substitutes or market alternatives are available if consumers indeed stray from newly taxed items.
In 2015 the World Health Organization assessed several different country examples of fiscal policies on sugary beverages — as well as food with high sugar and salt content — in response to member states requests for a guide to help them design their own tax policies to promote healthier food and beverage consumption.
“Part of the reasons why we had to do the review [was] because countries were saying, if it has worked for tobacco, shouldn’t it work if we move to food products and beverages?” said Temo Waqanivalu, technical lead on diet and physical activity at WHO in Geneva.
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About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
