WHO calls for Canada to hike sin-taxes to cover Trump funding gap
The World Health Organization wants countries like Canada to raise taxes on alcohol, sugar, and tobacco to make up for foreign aid cuts triggered by U.S President Donald Trump.
The World Health Organization wants countries like Canada to raise taxes on alcohol, sugar, and tobacco to make up for foreign aid cuts triggered by U.S President Donald Trump.
Speaking at a tuberculosis town hall last week, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged governments to impose new “sin taxes” on “unhealthy products” immediately. The goal, he said, is to offset the collapse in global health aid caused by Trump’s decision to pull U.S. funding from the WHO.
President Trump's administration formally requested to cancel $9.4 billion in foreign health spending, two days before Tedros made his demand. This rescission would impact agencies such as USAID, PEPFAR, and several UN bodies, including the WHO.
Instead of taking responsibility for growing global distrust in the WHO under his leadership, Tedros told countries to hike domestic taxes to keep foreign aid flowing.
His advice applies to all WHO member nations. Canada, one of the top ten funders of the WHO, has contributed over $900 million in taxpayer money over the past decade.
Pandemic Tax Bill
Canada’s contributions to the WHO surged during the pandemic. In 2020 and 2021, Ottawa sent over $212 million USD — nearly three times the usual annual amount. Since then, yearly contributions have settled around $85 million.
The WHO’s call for higher taxes comes as Canadians are already dealing with inflation and tax fatigue. Instead of reevaluating spending priorities or cutting waste, the proposed solution is to charge Canadians more at the liquor store, at the bar, and at the checkout.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has longstanding ties with globalist institutions like the World Economic Forum, where he served on the Board of Trustees. Carney has been a fixture at Davos and has echoed the WEF’s calls for global economic “restructuring.”
The WHO criticizes Trump for hindering global health initiatives, yet offers Canada no tangible benefit for its substantial financial contributions. Despite significant funding from Ottawa, the organization now demands more, proposing taxes that would impact working-class Canadians.
Tedros has a degree in community health and is not a medical doctor. He is a former Minister of Health for the communist Tigray People’s Liberation Front, which was designated as a terrorist organization in 2021 by Ethiopia. The Ethiopian government then removed the party from the list in 2023.
Not our obligation to make up for a decrease in US funding. Tell him a hard No
Tedros is a wanted criminal in his home country, Ethiopia.
Defund WHO immediately. While we are at it, defund WEF.