WHO pushes ‘health tax’ as global aid dwindles
It’s being sold as a cure for our crumbling health systems, but does it truly deliver, or does it merely pile a heavier burden on already strained individuals?
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus championed “health taxes” as a silver bullet for cash-strapped nations facing declining aid and rising health-care costs, at a UN General Assembly side event on September 24.
Speaking alongside global figures like Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and WHO Global Ambassador Mike Bloomberg, Tedros unveiled the WHO’s ambitious “3 by 35 Initiative,” urging countries to hike taxes on tobacco, alcohol and sugary drinks by 50% by 2035.
Health taxes are a win-win for people and economies:
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) September 27, 2025
1) They help prevent disease and save lives by reducing consumption of harmful products;
2) They can generate billions in revenue that countries can reinvest in health and development.@WHO's 3 by 35 Initiative calls for… pic.twitter.com/2ssfABhMYs
The goal is to reduce consumption of these “health-harming” products while generating billions in revenue to bolster health systems and supposed ‘sustainable development.’
Tedros painted a dire picture for his private organization: global aid could drop by 40% this year, while alleging that noncommunicable diseases continue to ravage populations, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
He argues that health taxes offer a dual benefit — curbing harmful consumption and simultaneously funding critical services.
Health taxes are a win-win for people and economies:
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) September 25, 2025
1) They help prevent disease and save lives by reducing consumption of harmful products;
2) They can generate billions in revenue that countries can reinvest in health and development.@WHO's 3 by 35 Initiative calls for… pic.twitter.com/6rbFVdLEvT
Tedros pointed to success stories like Brazil, which halved smoking rates through steep tobacco taxes, and Mexico, where a sugary drink tax cut consumption and filled government coffers. Thailand, too, funnels tobacco and alcohol tax revenue into health promotion.
But this is really just a flawed crusade that sidesteps a brutal truth: taxes aren’t the magic bullet for better health outcomes.
As it turns out, there is.#Quebec #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/h2P8WekpCv
— Tamara Ugolini 🇨🇦 (@TamaraUgo) January 12, 2022
Higher taxes often hit the poorest the hardest, squeezing low-income households who lean on cheap products like soda for daily survival.
Meanwhile, the promised health benefits are shaky at best.
Do higher cigarette prices really stop addiction, or do they just push smokers to black markets? Does taxing soda fix obesity, or does it dodge the real culprits — poverty, lack of health-care access, and abysmal education on nutrition?
The WHO’s “3 by 35 Initiative” demands aggressive tax hikes, but it’s a pipe dream dressed as policy.
Plus, the revenue sems just as likely to get swallowed by corrupt bureaucracies or misspent on pet projects as it is to fund hospitals. And let’s not ignore the elephant in the room: personal freedom.
How far should the state go in policing what people eat, drink or smoke?
The WHO’s sanctimonious “win-win” rhetoric glosses over these inconvenient realities.
Health outcomes don’t depend on tax revenue — they flourish through systemic solutions: robust, accessible health-care infrastructure, timely medical access, and empowering education, not heavy-handed policies that penalize personal choices.
Throwing taxes at the problem is like treating a broken leg with a bandage — it might look like action, but it’s no cure.
Countries don’t need to bleed their citizens dry to save lives; they need smarter, braver solutions that don’t scapegoat the poor or erode freedoms.
Featured Stories
COMMENTS
-
Paul Scofield commented 2025-09-30 07:16:29 -0400No need for the west to redistribte more of its income to Third World trash countries under yet another Tedros scheme. Given how poorly the WHO handled Covid, the sooner it has to fold its tent, the better. -
Bernhard Jatzeck commented 2025-09-29 21:31:23 -0400He’s a communist and he won’t be satisfied until his ideology has complete control over everything. Bankrupting us in the process is a small price to pay for that.
-
Don Smith followed this page 2025-09-29 20:27:28 -0400
-
Bruce Atchison commented 2025-09-29 19:56:30 -0400Doctor Turdrose more like. We’re taxed enough as it is. Taxing pop and chocolate just makes it harder for people to enjoy life. It also is another way governments make it harder for us to afford other things like fresh food. We should tell this former dictator to pound sand and shove his tax where the sun don’t shine.
