Title page
Contents
Abstract 1
Introduction 5
Section 1: The current health crisis 6
COVID-19: a devastating shock to global health, particularly for those with NCDs 6
COVID-19 disrupted health systems and interrupted NCD care 7
NCDs: uncontrolled and continuing to rise 8
Recovery from COVID-19 requires increased focus on NCD prevention and increased health financing 10
Section 2: The current fiscal crisis and health financing trends 11
Low economic growth 11
Low government expenditure 12
Low health expenditure-an "acute-on-chronic" crisis 13
Section 3: Health taxes as a solution 15
Impact of health taxes on health and health services 15
Impact of health taxes on government revenue and economic growth 16
Conclusion: A rapid solution for a fast-changing polycrisis era 17
Bibliography 19
FIGURE 1. Global average life expectancy at birth in a given year, 1950-2021 6
FIGURE 2. Global trends in obesity among adults over 20 years old 10
FIGURE 3. Five-year per capita GDP growth (Purchasing Power Parity-GDP weighted averages; percentage points) 11
FIGURE 4. General government gross debt (percentage of GDP) 12
FIGURE 5. Number of developing countries with interest expenditures exceeding 10% of revenues 13
FIGURE 6. Average Central Government Health Spending (CGHS) Index, Actual and Pre-Pandemic Trend Counterfactual, 2017-2022 (2019 = 100) 14
FIGURE 7. Global estimates of premature deaths and social costs of tobacco, alcohol, and unhealthy diets 17