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WHO has joined forces with VISA NGO and the University of Cape Town to assess the impact of increasing health taxes in Mauritius. Using a simulation tool, the study examined how tax hikes affect tobacco use, government revenues, and premature deaths. 📊 A 15% annual cigarette tax increase could: Boost excise revenue by 55% Reduce smoking prevalence from 18.1% to 17.4% Prevent 11,600 premature deaths by 2029 Even more ambitious action—a 25% annual increase—could: Double excise revenues Lower smoking prevalence to 16.3% Save 19,300 lives by 2029 On 20 June 2025, WHO convened high-level officials from the Ministries of Health and Finance to discuss the findings, presented by the University of Cape Town’s Research Unit on the Economics of Excisable Products and a WHO taxation expert.

In a compelling show of unity and determination, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the NGO VISA, and the University of Mauritius came together for a vibrant, three-week-long campaign to commemorate World No-Tobacco Day 2025. The celebrations reached a wide cross-section of Mauritian society — from medical, nursing, and university students to vocational trainees, educators, and prisons officers — all united under one message: Say NO to tobacco, and YES to health. Through workshops, interactive sessions, and awareness activities, participants learned about the dangers of tobacco use, the latest Mauritius Public Health (Restrictions on Tobacco Products) Regulations 2022, and the cunning strategies the tobacco industry uses to hook a new generation — especially young people — through flavoured, attractive, and tech-driven products. "Don’t be fooled. Resist. Say ‘No’ to tobacco and nicotine addiction and ‘Yes’ to your health," urged Dr. Anne Ancia, WHO Representative in Mauritius, during the campaign’s launch at the University of Mauritius in Réduit. A proud highlight of the event was the celebration of Mauritius receiving the WHO Director-General’s Special Recognition Award for its pioneering tobacco control policies. The award was presented to Health Minister Hon. Anil Kumar Bachoo at the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva this May. "Mauritius is showing the world that bold tobacco control is not just possible — it's happening," Dr. Ancia declared. "But now is not the time for complacency. We must ensure the new tobacco law is widely known, properly enforced, and effectively save lives — especially those of our younger generations."