Is red wine good for the heart? It’s an ongoing debate. But a new World Health Organization-led initiative aims at making sure alcoholic beverages, along with tobacco and sugary drinks, are less affordable to consume, particularly for young people who are targeted by companies through advertising.
The new initiative, called 3 by 35, calls for an increase of at least 50% in the price of these commodities by 2035 through health taxes. WHO said consumption of these products is fueling an epidemic of noncommunicable diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. NCDs killed at least 43 million people globally in 2021, 73% of whom live in low- and middle-income countries.
WHO and partners estimate that increasing these products’ prices by 50% will raise $1 trillion over the next 10 years, and would be valuable for countries as they raise additional revenue while curbing NCD cases and deaths.
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.
