Discussion Paper
No. 2018-14 | February 12, 2018
Sunisha Neupane, Zoe Boutilier, Ilona Kickbusch, Ali Mehdi, Miriam Sangiorgio, Michaela Told and Peter Taylor
SDGs, health and the G20: a vision for public policy
(Published in Global Solutions Paper)

Abstract

Ensuring ‘health for all’ remains a persistent and entrenched global challenge. G20 governments are in a position to elevate the priority accorded to health, and acknowledge the centrality of health to attaining the SDGs. The authors call on G20 leaders to build nations that are more inclusive and less divided, by: adopting a Health- in-All-Policies approach, prioritizing the most vulnerable, engaging citizens in policy processes, and filling health data gaps.

JEL Classification:

I1, I18

Links

Cite As

[Please cite the corresponding journal article] Sunisha Neupane, Zoe Boutilier, Ilona Kickbusch, Ali Mehdi, Miriam Sangiorgio, Michaela Told, and Peter Taylor (2018). SDGs, health and the G20: a vision for public policy. Economics Discussion Papers, No 2018-14, Kiel Institute for the World Economy. http://www.economics-ejournal.org/economics/discussionpapers/2018-14


Comments and Questions



Anonymous - Referee report
February 23, 2018 - 07:56
see attached file

Raghavendra Guru Srinivasan - Health governance & SDGs
May 02, 2018 - 13:40
Efforts in Health governance & SDGs require fresh thinking for the fundamental understanding of the health problems and of the new structures that are required to achieve desired results. For example recognizing the benefits of health investments and concept of human rights have limited utility in dealing with Non communicable diseases (NCDs) NCDs & Investment factor Sustainable insurance: The National health investment plans discuss the government spending in terms of percentage of GDP. NCDs are predominantly a function of physical activity and food consumption. For example, India is a country of 1.3 billion people with around 400 million living in cities. The part of investment factor should be in terms of man hours of physical activity instead of Cash. Everyone has to involve in daily physical activity of at least half hour a day which will mean that Indians should come with a plan for 650 million hours of physical activity every day. Obesity and Non communicable diseases are the biggest market failure despite the high per capita spending of more than $8,800 in the USA. NCDs and Sustainable Banking (Human rights & Human cooperation): 1. Monetary market spending alone are ineffective in reducing NCDs. According to the Constitution of W.H.O health is a basic human right. NGOs and other organisations are successful in realizing the concept of right. 2. The constitution of W.H.O also states that the Co-operation of individuals is essential for health. In case of NCDs there is a specific co-operation requirement in terms of daily physical activity. In Wisdom traditions a specific co-operation/responsibility is called duty.3. Human rights have been linked to Banking and UNEPFI has published human rights tool in the regard. There is a need for connecting specific co-operation/responsibility/duty to sustainable banking and sustainable business. This will unlock finance for prevention of NCDs. For further finance health related food taxation will be of help. The summary below gives a new approach of looking at healthy people for coming out with best practices for people living an unhealthy lifestyle. Health related food taxation (SDG 17)Foundations of tax policy: Current health related food tax is a product of both medical science (Allopathy/western medicine) and economics. With obesity & other Non-communicable diseases being one of the biggest market failure, there is an urgent need to look at healthy people like yoga (Indian medicine) practitioners for lessons in management of food consumption & for taxation. Need for governance: This effort has also brought out the business behavior of tickling food consumption in individuals. Markets mechanisms reward the business behavior tickling food consumption as higher sales translates into higher profits. Governments in developed countries have set up a team to nudge people’s behavior for improving health especially in the area of obesity and non-communicable diseases. The business behavior of tickling food consumption generates or increases the need for governance efforts like behavior change interventions, and regulating tickling behavior will reduce the burden of governance. Innovation: The Governments around the world have proposed to tax various food products to stop obesity, diabetes & other non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and they include soda tax, candy tax, sugar tax, high salt and high sugar tax, junk food tax, pasty tax, etc. Even after taxing food products there is still discussion on food supplied in large quantities, and on promotions to children in the form of gifts and toys. There is a need for comprehensive global framework for health related food taxation and it is addressed by attached work.The attached document will be single basic resource for Overeating behaviour / tax based financing for health / behavioural insight efforts.