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Context:  

The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a "3 by 35" initiative to combat the growing epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

WHO's '3 by 35' Initiative

Core Objective => It encourages countries to raise the prices of tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks by at least 50% by the year 2035 through the imposition of health taxes.

The Initiative serves a dual purpose:

• Public Health => To reduce the consumption of the harmful products, thus curbing the cases of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
• Revenue Generation => To generate public revenue that can be reinvested into essential health services, including efforts towards achieving universal health coverage (UHC).

Global Collaboration => The initiative brings together various global partners who offer technical expertise, policy advice, and practical experience to help countries successfully implement these health taxes.

Strategy for Implementation

Direct Country Support => The WHO and its partners provide direct support for country-led reforms, which includes assisting governments in designing, enacting, and administering appropriate tax policies.

Mobilizing Domestic Resources => Focuses on leveraging domestic public resources to fund critical health and development programmes, which reduces dependence on external aid and fosters sustainable funding for health systems.

Strengthening Health Systems => Revenue generated from health taxes can be specifically dedicated to fund universal health coverage initiatives, to ensure more people have access to necessary health services without financial hardship.

Sharing Best Practices => Promotes the sharing of proven health policies and best practices on implementation among countries, which allows nations to learn from successful experiences and avoid common pitfalls.

Source: 

INDIAN EXPRESS