Aiming to improve public health and strengthen health system funding, Hungary introduced a tax on unhealthy foods and beverages in 2011, targeting items such as sugary drinks, snacks, and processed foods. This tax aims to reduce consumption, encourage product reformulation, and generate revenue for health workforce salaries and prevention programmes.

To tackle obesity, smoking, and physical inactivity, the Netherlands’ National Prevention Agreement brings together government, municipalities, insurers, and civil society in a long-term prevention strategy. The approach links investment in healthier environments—such as food labelling, tobacco taxes, and active living initiatives—to long-term health and economic gains, supported by measurable targets and shared co-investment models.

Developed to tackle deep health inequalities and rising illness, Scotland’s 10-year prevention strategy ‘Together We Can’ embeds prevention into budgets, policy, and accountability frameworks. The strategy shifts focus from treatment to wellbeing, aligning cross-sector action, equity indicators, and long-term targets to close the healthy life expectancy gap between the richest and poorest communities.