Modelling the potential impact of a tax on fruit juice in South Africa: implications for the primary prevention of type 2 diabetes and health financing

We conclude that an HPL that significantly raises the retail price of fruit juices would reduce consumption and diabetes-related morbidity and mortality. The tax will also provide significant financial benefits in the form of reduced healthcare costs for both government and households as well as providing financial risk protection to individuals. Health taxes are win-win policies that improve population health and generate revenue for governments to fund public health services delivery and thus improve overall health financing activities of the government. Therefore, population level disease prevention measures such as health taxes are important for achieving universal health coverage.