By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Correspondent
GLOBAL MOMENTUM is building behind a public health drive urging Nigeria and other nations to increase excise taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks by 50 per cent by 2035.
The aim is to counter the surging burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and generate sustainable health financing through what WHO calls smarter taxation.
Published on the United Nations (UN) health agency’s website, the initiative, titled “3 by 35,” sets out a worldwide campaign to increase the real prices of unhealthy products such as sugary soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, and tobacco.
WHO maintains that the move would reduce harmful consumption, save lives, and strengthen health systems increasingly overwhelmed by rising rates of diabetes, cancers, and cardiovascular disease.
Tobacco, alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverages are driving the global NCD epidemic, which now accounts for more than 75 per cent of all deaths.
A new WHO report finds that a one-time 50 per cent price increase on these products could avert 50 million premature deaths over the next 50 years.
Nigeria has already introduced a N10 per litre excise tax on sugary drinks, but public health experts and advocacy groups like the National Sugar Tax Coalition argue this is insufficient.
A simulation study recommends increasing the rate to N130 per litre to meaningfully reduce SSB-related NCDs.
WHO Assistant Director-General for Health Promotion, Dr Jeremy Farrar, described health taxes as “one of the most efficient tools” to drive behaviour change while financing essential services.
“They cut the consumption of harmful products and create revenue governments can reinvest in health care, education, and social protection. It’s time to act,” he said.
Backed by a growing alliance of development partners and public health advocates, the “3 by 35” campaign sets an ambitious target to raise US$1 trillion globally through health taxation by 2035.
WHO cites success stories from over 140 countries that raised tobacco taxes between 2012 and 2022, leading to a real price rise of over 50 per cent and a corresponding decline in use.
Countries like Colombia and South Africa have already recorded reduced consumption and increased revenue following the implementation of such taxes.
However, WHO warns that ongoing tax exemptions and industry agreements in many countries are undermining long-term health objectives.
The agency is calling on governments to avoid such arrangements and align tax policy with public health priorities.
At the heart of the “3 by 35” campaign is a set of action areas tailored to national contexts.
These include cutting affordability of harmful products through excise taxes, increasing domestic revenues for universal health coverage, and building coalitions across ministries, parliamentarians, civil society, and academia to enact robust policies.
WHO’s technical and policy partners said they are offering countries direct support to navigate reform, implement proven measures, and build the political will needed to transform health financing.
Also, governments are seeking to become less dependent on foreign aid are among those turning to WHO for guidance on tax-based solutions.
Furthermore, the UN health agency is urging countries to adopt equitable, evidence-based taxation measures that promote long-term health gains and accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.
