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Countries need to increase their taxes on alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverages, the World Health Organization said Tuesday, saying too few states were using tax to incentivize healthier behaviors. After studying taxation rates, the WHO said the average global tax rate on such "unhealthy products" was low, and hiking taxes could result in healthier populations."WHO recommends that excise tax should apply to all sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and alcoholic beverages," the UN health agency said in a statement.Excise taxes target particular goods and services.The WHO said 2.6 million people a year die from drinking alcohol, while more than eight million die from...

The World Health Organization (WHO) and other aid groups on Thursday appealed to leaders of the world’s 20 biggest economies to fund a $23.4 billion plan to bring COVID-19 vaccines, tests and drugs to poorer countries in the next 12 months. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the Group of 20, whose leaders are meeting in Rome at the weekend, had the political and financial power needed to end the pandemic by funding the plan, which he said could save five million lives. “The request is for $23.4 billion. That’s a fair amount of money, but if you compare with...

Addis Ababa (AFP) - The chairman of the African Union Commission on Wednesday defended the World Health Organization (WHO) and its leadership from attacks by US President Donald Trump, who on Tuesday threatened to cut funding for the UN body. "Surprised to learn of a campaign by the US govt against WHO's global leadership," Moussa Faki Mahamat said in a Twitter post. "The African Union fully supports WHO and Dr Tedros," he added, referring to the WHO's director, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, an Ethiopian. Faki was later joined by Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Namibian President Hage Geingob, who took to...