Bulletin of the World Health Organization
-
Bull. World Health Organ. · Mar 2019
A decade of cigarette taxation in Bangladesh: lessons learnt for tobacco control.
Bangladesh has achieved a high share of tax in the price of cigarettes (greater than the 75% benchmark), but has not achieved the expected health benefits from reduction in cigarette consumption. In this paper we explore why cigarette taxation has not succeeded in reducing cigarette smoking in Bangladesh. Using government records over 2006-2017, we link trends in tax-paid cigarette sales to cigarette excise tax structure and changes in cigarette taxes and prices. ⋯ Second, income growth and shifting preferences of smokers for better quality products encouraged upward substitution from hand-rolled local cigarettes (bidi) to machine-made low-price cigarettes. Third, the tobacco industry's market expansion and differential pricing strategy changed the relative price to keep low-price cigarettes inexpensive. A high tax share alone may prove inadequate as a barometer of effective tobacco taxation in lower-middle income countries, particularly where the tobacco tax structure is complex, tobacco products prices are relatively low, and the affordability of tobacco products is increasing.
-
Bull. World Health Organ. · Feb 2019
Legal capacities required for prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases.
Law lies at the centre of successful national strategies for prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases. By law we mean international agreements, national and subnational legislation, regulations and other executive instruments, and decisions of courts and tribunals. However, the vital role of law in global health development is often poorly understood, and eclipsed by other disciplines such as medicine, public health and economics. ⋯ We identify actions that the World Health Organization and its partners could take to mobilize the legal workforce, strengthen legal capacity and support effective use of law at the national level. Legal and regulatory actions must move to the centre of national noncommunicable disease action plans. This requires high-level leadership from global and national leaders, enacting evidence-based legislation and building legal capacities.
-
The steep decline in Zika cases since 2016 has led to a perception that the threat posed by the virus has diminished. Recent outbreaks and global spread underline the need for continued vigilance. Tatum Anderson and Gary Humphreys report.
-
Despite efforts to boost its health workforce, Bangladesh is struggling to make progress towards universal coverage of health services. Sophie Cousins reports.