Public health in India just got a major boost with GST waivers on critical cancer drugs and a hefty tax slap on tobacco. A fresh AIIMS study spotlights these as pivotal steps to fortify national well-being amid rising cancer rates.
Detailing the reforms, the GST Council’s September decision zeroed out taxes on 33 essential medicines, encompassing cancer fighters previously taxed at 12 and 5 percent. This includes drugs for rare ailments, making therapy far more pocket-friendly and slashing patients’ direct costs.
Echoing this, the latest budget trimmed customs duties on 17 cancer treatments. AIIMS oncologist Dr. Abhishek Shankar told reporters, ‘This is transformative for affordability. Tax relief on drugs and equipment eases the economic strain on countless families.’
Shifting to deterrence, tobacco products now face a 40 percent GST slab—the steepest anywhere—rolled out February 1. The study forecasts gains like saved healthcare bucks, longer lives, averted early deaths, and poverty dips by curbing tobacco-linked cancers, which drive 15 percent of global incidences according to WHO.
‘Jacking up tobacco taxes discourages use, bolsters anti-smoking drives, and funds health initiatives,’ Dr. Shankar noted. These fiscal tweaks, blending cure support with prevention, offer a blueprint for peer countries grappling with comparable health crises.
The AIIMS analysis wraps optimistically: India’s strategy marries treatment access with behavior change, underscoring a firm pledge to fair cancer management. On the heels of these announcements, experts urge swift implementation to maximize impact.
