Resource Library

Health taxes

Dr. Tom Frieden: Busting 10 Myths About Health Taxes

Health tax lessons from Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa

Resolve to Save Lives
Examples from South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania show what works in health taxation.

Should health tax revenue be earmarked? A primer

Resolve to Save Lives
Overview of health tax earmarking, including best practices, pros and cons, and examples from the Philippines, Thailand and Ghana.

Industry narratives on health taxes — and what the evidence says

Resolve to Save Lives
Short, evidence-backed responses to common industry arguments against health taxes, drawing on African and global experience, from Resolve to Save Lives

Catalytic implementation partnership: health taxes

Resolve to Save Lives
Resolve to Save Lives partners with governments to support implementation of best-practice excise taxes on tobacco, alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverages

SHAKE the salt habit, 2nd ed.

WHO
WHO’s updated SHAKE technical package offers practical tools countries can use to cut back on salt

Overview: SHAKE the salt habit – second edition

RTSL
This overview of WHO’s updated SHAKE technical package supports advocacy efforts for comprehensive salt reduction programs

Resource Table: SHAKE the salt habit – second edition

RTSL
WHO-recommended policies and interventions that support salt reduction

Taxation of foods high in fat, sugar, and sodium in India: A modelling study of health and economic impacts

PLOS Medicine
screenshot of online article about an unhealthy food tax strategy

Unhealthy food tax in the Philippines could save lives and money

The Lancet Public Health
A Lancet Public Health study shows a 20% tax on unhealthy foods in the Philippines could save thousands of lives and reduce healthcare costs.
Screenshot of effective ways to address obesity factsheet

Proven ways to address obesity, improve health, increase government revenue, and reduce health care costs

Resolve to Save Lives
Improve public health, increase government revenue, and reduce health care costs by addressing obesity with these proven strategies.

New article in JAMA calls for less rhetoric and more action before, during, and after 2025 UN High-Level Meeting on noncommunicable diseases

Fiscal policies to promote healthy diets: WHO guideline

World Health Organization
Fiscal policies healthy diets: a WHO guideline on using taxes and subsidies to influence consumer behavior and promote healthier eating at the retail level.

Food taxes for healthy eating

Imperial College Business School
Imperial College report advocating broader food taxes using nutrient profile models to define tax bases, rates, or tiers aligned with nutritional quality and health impact.