The global health body pushes for 50 percent price hikes on harmful products by 2035, aiming to curb disease, boost revenue, and fund healthcare systems.
SEVILLE, Spain July 4, –The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a bold new global initiative urging governments to dramatically increase taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks—a move designed to save millions of lives while generating crucial funding for strained health systems.
Dubbed the “3 by 35” Initiative, the plan calls for a 50 percent real price increase on these harmful products by 2035, targeting their role in fueling noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease—which account for 75 percent of global deaths.
Recent WHO data suggests that even a one-time 5 percent price increase could prevent 50 million premature deaths over the next 50 years.
The initiative aims to go further, leveraging health taxes to both reduce consumption and unlock an estimated $1 trillion in revenue over the next decade.
“Health taxes are one of the most efficient tools we have,” said Dr. Jeremy Farrar, WHO Assistant Director-General for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention.
“They cut harmful consumption while funding healthcare, education, and social protection. It’s time to act.”
Persistent Pushback
The strategy builds on past wins: between 2012 and 2022, nearly 140 countries raised tobacco taxes, driving real price increases of over 50 percent on average.
Countries like Colombia and South Africa have seen declines in consumption alongside rising tax revenues. Yet challenges remain.
Many nations still offer tax breaks to unhealthy industries, while some are locked into long-term trade deals that restrict tax hikes -undermining public health goals.
The WHO is now urging governments to close loopholes and avoid such exemptions.
The initiative outlines key steps for governments, such as boosting excise taxes to make harmful products less affordable, and reinvesting revenue into healthcare and universal health coverage.
Strengthen alliances between finance and health ministries, lawmakers, and researchers, and build public, and political support for smarter, fairer taxation.
Global Action
The WHO is rallying countries, civil society, and development partners to back the plan, framing it as a win-win for health and economic stability.
With NCDs straining budgets worldwide, the message is clear: taxing harm now could save lives—and money—for decades to come.
“This isn’t just about raising prices,” Farrar emphasised, while adding that: “It’s about investing in a healthier future.”
