Policy coherence of price controls on food and noncommunicable disease prevention, WHO South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions

Noncommunicable diseases are the leading cause of death and disability globally, with suboptimal diet being a significant risk factor. Fiscal policies that promote nutritious foods have been identified as part of a best-practice package of interventions and are a focus for governments in the current context of rising food prices. Price controls are a strategy that governments commonly apply to limit mark-up on prices of specific foods, with the aim of protecting consumers and promoting food security. To date, which specific foods are being placed under price controls is unclear. This paper aimed to provide an overview of the use of food price controls in 10 Member States of the World Health Organization South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions, which have price controls on specific food commodities. The types of foods and beverages under price controls differed considerably. Many of these foods and beverages (for example, sugar-sweetened beverages and instant noodles) were not aligned with global recommendations for healthy diets and the prevention of noncommunicable diseases. Price controls are being implemented by government agencies for finance or commerce, which are generally separate from the agencies overseeing the prevention of noncommunicable diseases. Therefore, an opportunity exists for policy-makers to strengthen policy coherence of price controls on food and the prevention of diet-related noncommunicable diseases.