WHO applauds Parliament and Ministry of Health for championing legislative reforms on properly being taxes
Adama, Ethiopia | June 2025
In a landmark repeat of political will and multisectoral collaboration, the Ethiopian House of Peoples’ Representatives (HPR), the Ministry of Health, and partners are spearheading one of Africa’s most promising properly being financing reforms. By embracing properly being taxes as a strategic tool, Ethiopia has started strengthening its national properly being diagram, curbing the upward thrust of noncommunicable ailments (NCDs), and advancing its toddle toward Common Health Coverage (UHC).
This momentous collaboration used to be showcased for the duration of a high-stage coaching workshop held from 13 to 14 June 2025 in Adama, Ethiopia. The forum used to be jointly organized by WHO Ethiopia and the Ministry of Health, in partnership with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and with generous financial enhance from the Authorities of Norway.
The two-day match introduced together 63 MPs and parliamentary group as properly as 13 senior officers of the Ministry of Health, reaffirming the dear position of legislative bodies in shaping public properly being through economic protection.
The workshop focused on consolidating the capacity of lawmakers to further realize and champion properly being taxes—specifically excise taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages. These taxes are globally acknowledged for their twin impact: they discourage the utilization of circulate merchandise while generating sustainable earnings to fund fundamental properly being companies.
In her opening remarks, H.E. Lomi Bedo, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, emphasized the transformative vitality of Ethiopia’s 2020 excise tax law. “By elevating taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and other circulate merchandise, Ethiopia has taken an primary step toward safeguarding public properly being and promoting extra healthy communities,” she acknowledged. “Growing prices on unhealthy commodities stays one of basically the most convenient options to minimize their consumption and associated properly being dangers, together with addiction and untimely loss of life.”
Her remarks echoed the rising recognition of Parliament’s proactive legislative stance—one that aligns with the nation’s construction vision and its commitment to reaching the Sustainable Pattern Goals (SDGs).
Ethiopian Insist Minister of Health H.E. Dr. Dereje Duguma on his part warned that misleading narratives from the tobacco substitute persist—specifically claims that greater than 50% of the tobacco market has changed into illicit put up-legislation. He stressed the importance of evidence-basically basically based policymaking and pledged the Ministry’s continued collaboration with Parliament, WHO, and all construction partners to give a boost to tax administration and uphold Ethiopia’s progress toward UHC and NCD control.
Delivering a keynote address, Dr. Owen Authorized guidelines Kaluwa, WHO Consultant to Ethiopia, praised Ethiopia’s leadership in adopting dauntless and effective non-traditional mechanisms to elevate additional funds for the country. “Stronger properly being methods enable international locations to allocate scarce sources to their most pressing priorities,” Dr. Kaluwa said. “The 2020 excise tax legislation stays one of basically the most impactful protection tools for cutting back the consumption of circulate merchandise while boosting domestic earnings.”
Dr. Kaluwa highlighted that WHO’s enhance to Ethiopia is a part of a multi-12 months mission on properly being taxes implemented in collaboration with IPU and funded by the Norwegian Authorities. As a precedence country in this initiative, Ethiopia is receiving focused technical aid for protection prognosis, tax implementation, and improved rep entry to to NCD therapy and care.
Throughout the workshop, MPs and parliamentary technical group deliberated on the most modern global and national evidence on the effectiveness of properly being taxes. Members engaged in palms-on sessions the utilize of up to date protection briefs, information, and technical tools designed to explain legislative decisions and back tax implementation in the long term.
Key discussions focused on the importance of Parliament’s position in sustaining strong tax methods, supporting annual adjustments, and shielding protection construction from substitute interference. Members reaffirmed their commitment to advancing fiscal insurance policies that prioritize public properly being and social fairness.
Health taxes delight in received wider recognition globally as part of a broader push to fight NCDs—conditions similar to cardiovascular illness, most cancers, diabetes, and other chronic ailments that tale for greater than 70% of world deaths and disproportionately impact low- and middle-profits international locations. Ethiopia’s intention—grounded in science, backed by protection, and supported by partners—demonstrates how strategic legislation can back both public properly being and economic resilience.
Taking a glimpse forward, WHO Ethiopia reaffirmed its dedication to working alongside Parliament, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance, and other stakeholders to toughen Ethiopia’s properly being financing panorama. This consists of guaranteeing that properly being taxes are no longer only implemented nevertheless effective, efficient, and guilty public financial administration methods are mandatory for the additional revenues to attain and be guilty for expenditure targets.
“Health taxes are no longer correct a earnings tool—they are a properly being-saving, lifestyles-preserving measure,” Dr. Kaluwa concluded. “Ethiopia’s continued leadership in this home is no longer only commendable nevertheless additionally supplies a blueprint for the region and beyond.”
Because the country continues its course toward UHC, Ethiopia’s abilities highlights the vitality of political commitment, intersectoral collaboration, and strategic investment in properly being. The success of its properly being tax protection and administration illustrates how even modest fiscal interventions can yield transformative outcomes—saving lives, strengthening methods, and constructing a extra healthy future for all.
