Submission to Standing Committee on Appropriations 1. Background Introduced in 2018, the Health Promotion Levy (HPL) is a tax designed to precisely target the sugar content added to sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) beyond acceptable thresholds. This lowers overall sugar consumption via SSBs through incentivising companies towards reformulating their products and affecting a reduction in demand …
The February 2022 Household Affordability Index, which tracks food price data from 44 supermarkets and 30 butcheries, in Johannesburg (Soweto, Alexandra, Tembisa and Hillbrow), Durban (KwaMashu, Umlazi, Isipingo, Durban CBD and Mtubatuba), Cape Town (Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Philippi, Langa, Delft and Dunoon), Pietermaritzburg and Springbok (in the Northern Cape), shows that: In February 2022: The average …
Key data from the February 2022 Household Affordability Index Read More »
Are you an exceptional communicator with at least five years’ experience in journalism or communications? Are you committed to social justice and health equality? We are looking for a communications manager to implementation of HEALA’s communication strategy and to develop, implement, monitor and evaluate communications to support HEALA’s primary policy advocacy campaigns. This person must have the …
On Wednesday 23rd February 2022, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners launched a new report, ‘How the marketing of formula milk influences our decisions on infant feeding’. This report – the largest of its kind to date – draws on the experiences of over 8,500 women and 300 …
WHO report unmasks the deceitful marketing of the $55 billion formula milk industry Read More »
HEALA is a coalition of civil society organisations that advocate for equitable access to affordable, nutritious food in South Africa by building a more just food system.
A recently leaked report on the health promotion levy’s economic impacts affirms that the levy can play an important role in financing healthcare in South Africa. However, the Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) disputes the report’s claims — based on flawed methodology — that the levy will lead to job losses. In 2018, South Africa introduced …
NEDLAC-commissioned report backs South Africa’s “sugar tax” Read More »
If South Africa doubled its sugary beverage levy, it could raise billions to help fund the fight against Covid-19. In 2018, South Africa introduced a health promotion levy of about 11% on sugary beverages to help curb the country’s sugar consumption, which is fuelling a rise in non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and …
Media Release: Doubling the sugary beverage levy could raise billions for Covid-19 fight Read More »
South Africa implemented its Health Promotion Levy, or HPL, in April of 2018. The HPL is a sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax of approximately 11%, based on sugar content. Initial research on the price impact of the HPL has shown prices increased commensurate with the tax for taxed beverages but did not change for non-taxable beverages …
Big Food Used Global Pandemic to Aggressively Promote Unhealthy, Ultra-Processed Food & Sugary Drinks A new report finds that the food and beverage industry giants directly and indirectly blocked. Healthy food policies while putting vulnerable consumers at even greater risk. WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new report released by the Global Health Advocacy Incubator [GHAI] …
The Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) and Rural Health Advocacy Project (RHAP) call for an increase in the so-called sugar sweetened beverage tax and inclusion of fruit juices to reduce diet-related disease and death, and raise much-needed revenue amidst COVID-19 health demands and budget deficits. Johannesburg, 4 November: Advocacy groups for healthy food in South Africa …
