The political economy of sugar-sweetened beverage taxation: an analysis from seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

: Non-communicable diseases are on the rise across sub-Saharan Africa. The region has become a targeted growth market for sugar-sweetened beverages, which are associated with weight gain, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.: To identify politico-economic factors relevant to nutrition-related fiscal policies, and to draw lessons regarding strategies to strengthen sugar-sweetened beverages taxation in the region and globally.

The data availability landscape in seven sub-Saharan African countries and its role in strengthening sugar-sweetened beverage taxation.

: Credible data and indicators are necessary for country-specific evidence to support the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxation.: A cross-country analysis was undertaken in seven Sub-Saharan African countries to describe the potential role of available data in strengthening SSB taxation. The objectives were to: document currently available data sources; report on public access; discuss strengths and limitations for use in monitoring SSB taxation; describe policy maker's data needs, and propose improvements in data collection.

Study design: policy landscape analysis for sugar-sweetened beverage taxation in seven sub-Saharan African countries.

This paper reports on the design of a study to examine the policy landscape relevant to sugar-sweetened beverage taxation in seven sub-Saharan African countries. The study responds to the need for strong policy to address the rising burden of non-communicable diseases in the region. Sugar-sweetened beverage taxation has been widely recommended as a key component of a comprehensive policy approach to NCD prevention.