Description

This sectoral brief is tailored specifically to ministries of finance. It expands upon the following key points regarding what this sector needs to know about NCDs:

• Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are a drag on the economy.
• Fiscal policies can generate substantial additional revenue for the government, while improving public health.
• Preventing NCDs makes economic sense.
• Price and tax measures are very effective at getting people to quit tobacco use and reduce consumption of alcohol as well as unhealthy foods and beverages.
• Price and tax measures can be used to actively encourage healthier behaviours and consumption of healthier products.
• Industry interference is a major challenge: ministries of finance, tax and revenue must be alert to the myths spread by industry.
• Ministries of finance, tax and revenue need to collect robust data to see the impacts of tax and price policies.