On July 25, 2025, the Palais de Verre Paul Biya in Yaounde, Cameroon, hosted a high-level seminar addressing the urgent need to regulate and tax unhealthy food products. The event was organized by the Reconciliation and Development Association (RADA) in collaboration with key health stakeholders, including the Parliamentary Health Funding Caucus, the Cameroonian parliamentary network on tobacco control (Oxygen), the Ministry of Public Health and other sectoral, the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and the World Health Organization (WHO). This strategic gathering brought together parliamentarians, public health leaders, and civil society representatives to confront alarming evidence linking unhealthy diets to the growing burden of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Cameroon.

Diet-related NCDs have overtaken tobacco as the leading contributor to global mortality, with over 12 million adult deaths annually attributed to conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. This staggering figure, which represents 26% of all adult deaths, highlights a public health crisis that cannot be ignored. In Cameroon, the absence of robust fiscal policies addressing unhealthy food products has exacerbated the issue. Rather than imposing necessary taxes, the current trend has been to grant rebates on these unhealthy items, inadvertently increasing their accessibility and consumption. Compounding the issue is the lack of regulatory control over the marketing of sugar-sweetened beverages and ultra-processed foods, leaving the population—especially youth—exposed to aggressive promotion of unhealthy dietary choices.

The seminar aimed to build the capacity of parliamentarians on the need for special taxes on unhealthy food products in Cameroon. The expected outcome of the activity was that parliamentarians in Cameroon advocate for special taxes on unhealthy packaged food products to reduce consumption and promote access to healthier food options to the Relevant Government Ministries.

Experts presented compelling arguments outlining the public health benefits of such policies, supported by evidence showing the effectiveness of similar measures in various global contexts. Such countries as Mexico, the United Kingdom and South Africa have successfully used taxation to mitigate the consumption of unhealthy products, resulting in notable improvements in public health outcomes. 

During the event, the need for an informed public health approach to taxation was emphasized. One of the most pertinent arguments presented was the direct link between reduced consumption of unhealthy foods and potential decreases in NCD prevalence. Moreover, increased tax revenue could be channeled into funding health initiatives and promoting healthier food choices, aligning with the WHO’s recommendations for financing healthy dietary options. The WHO also highlighted the global “3 by 35” initiative, which calls on countries to increase taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-laden beverages by 50% by 2035.

This seminar marks a decisive step in the fight against NCDs in Cameroon. It is now up to parliamentarians to take this advocacy to the relevant ministries so that taxation becomes a public health tool and ensure sustainable and health-conscious economic development.