[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Globally, and particularly in low- and middle-income countries, health budgets are under strain to meet the challenge of preventing the growing prevalence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
Many countries have developed fiscal mechanisms to help finance the health sector and health programmes, including raising tobacco excise taxes and dedicating some of the revenue to a specific fund. Raising tobacco taxes high enough, through a well-designed, well-administered tax policy system, and thus raising the prices of all tobacco products, is one of the most costeffective, efficient measures for reducing tobacco use and tobacco-related morbidity and mortality (1).
In addition to increasing the effectiveness of excise tax systems to increase revenues, governments are encouraged to consider using fiscal policies to reduce consumption of harmful goods such as tobacco. Further, a number of countries have channelled some of the increased tax revenue into increased funding for health programmes. This fiscal policy is also aligned with Article 6 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC ), “Price and tax measures to reduce demand for tobacco”, and its guidelines for implementation, which recommend that countries dedicate revenue to fund tobacco control and other health promotion activities (2). Article 26 of the WHO FCTC requires all Parties to secure and provide financial support for the implementation of various tobacco control programmes and activities to meet the objectives of the Convention. Tobacco excise taxes have also been identified as a revenue stream for financing the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (3).[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_btn title=”Download Now” color=”primary” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sancda.org.za%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F06%2F2016-WHO-Earmarked-Tobacco-Taxes-1.pdf|||”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Childhood obesity is reaching alarming proportions in many countries and poses an urgent and serious challenge. The Sustainable Development Goals, set by the United Nations in 2015, identify prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases as core priorities. Among the noncommunicable disease risk factors, obesity is particularly concerning and has the potential to negate many of the health benefits that have contributed to increased life expectancy. The prevalence of infant, childhood and adolescent obesity is rising around the world. Although rates may be plateauing in some settings, in absolute numbers there are more children who are overweight and obese in low- and middle-income countries than in high-income countries. Obesity can affect a child’s immediate health, educational attainment and quality of life. Children with obesity are very likely to remain obese as adults and are at risk of chronic illness.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_btn title=”Download Now” color=”primary” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sancda.org.za%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F06%2F9789241510066_eng-1.pdf|||”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The research predicts dire effects if sugary drink consumption is not curtailed—more than $50 billion in health care costs over the next 25 years.
The report says that Canadians purchased an average of 444 ml of sugary drinks per day in 2015, well over the recommended sugar maximum of no more than 10% of total daily calories.
Sales of classic Coke and Pepsi are down, but look what is happening with other sugary beverages:[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]
Health economic impact sugary drink tax in canada en
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Health economic impact sugary drink tax in canada en
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]A better nourished world is a better world. Yet the 2017 Global Nutrition Report shows that, despite the significant steps the world has taken towards improving nutrition and associated health burdens over recent decades, nutrition is still a large-scale and universal problem. Too many people are being left behind from the benefits of improved nutrition. Yet when we look at the wider context, the opportunity for change has never been greater. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by 193 countries in 2015, offer a tremendous window of opportunity to reverse or stop these trends.
The 2017 Global Nutrition Report shows there are five core areas of development that run through the SDGs which nutrition can contribute to, and in turn, benefit from:
- sustainable food production
- infrastructure
- health systems
- equity and inclusion
- peace and stability.
Through these areas, the report finds that improving nutrition can have a powerful multiplier effect across the SDGs. Indeed, it indicates that it will be a challenge to achieve any SDG without addressing nutrition. The report shows that there is an exciting opportunity to achieving global nutrition targets while catalysing other development goals through ‘double duty’ actions, which tackle more than one form of malnutrition at once. Likewise, potential ‘triple duty actions’, which tackle malnutrition and other development challenges, could yield multiple benefits across the SDGs.
If readers take away one message from this report, it should be that ending malnutrition in all its forms will catalyse improved outcomes across the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The challenge is huge, but it is dwarfed by the opportunity.
The 2016 Report was funded through the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition & Health, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, the European Commission, the Governments of Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands, Irish Aid, UK Department for International Development (DFID), US Agency for International Development (USAID), and 1,000 Days.
The Report is delivered by an Independent Expert Group and guided at a strategic level by a Stakeholder Group, whose members also reviewed the Report. The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) oversees the production and dissemination of the Report, with the support of a virtual Secretariat. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition managed the blind external review process for the Report, which was launched on June 14, 2016. Check our events page throughout the year for news on follow-up events.
Copyright 2017: Development Initiatives Poverty Research Ltd.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_btn title=”Download Now” color=”primary” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sancda.org.za%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F01%2FReport_2017-1.pdf|||”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The World Health Organization (WHO) published the first edition of the Model List of Essential In Vitro Diagnostics (EDL) in May 2018, in recognition that IVDs are an essential component to advance universal health coverage, address health emergencies, and promote healthier populations, which are the three strategic priorities of the WHO Thirteenth General Programme of Work (2019–2023) (GPW). The EDL is also intended to complement the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines (EML) and enhance its impact.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_btn title=”Download Now” color=”primary” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sancda.org.za%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F05%2FWHO_EDL_2018-1.pdf|||”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
