A groundbreaking AIIMS study celebrates India’s latest tax policies as cornerstones for enhanced public health: zero GST on vital cancer drugs and a record 40 percent levy on tobacco products.
The GST Council’s landmark September resolution axed taxes on 33 crucial drugs, including anti-cancer agents shifted from 12 percent and others from 5 percent to zero. Recent budget measures further reduced customs duties on 17 such treatments, markedly curbing patient expenses.
Dr. Abhishek Shankar, AIIMS Radiation Oncology specialist, lauded the impact: ‘These changes make cancer care viable for the masses by trimming taxes on drugs and devices, easing family finances.’
Conversely, the tobacco tax surge from February 1—the maximum GST tier—aims to dismantle the leading avoidable cancer trigger, linked to 15 percent of new global cases per WHO insights.
Projected outcomes are profound: amplified healthy life years, cost savings in care, diminished early deaths, avoidance of devastating expenditures, and poverty reduction. ‘Elevated taxes on tobacco not only discourage smoking but also yield revenues earmarked for health advancements,’ Dr. Shankar explained.
The research advocates these innovations as exemplars for nations with parallel health profiles. In summation, Dr. Shankar stressed, ‘Ensuring prompt access is key, yet these reforms embody India’s resolve for integrated cancer strategy—bolstering therapy, prevention, and justice in care.’ As these policies unfold, they promise sweeping health dividends.