Challenges and way forward for implementation of sugar taxation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Here, we discuss these challenges and suggest some ways forward such as (1) support from a health-oriented political leadership, (2) raising public awareness about the health risks of over consumption of sugar, (3) transparency during the policy-cycle development process, (4) providing a free and safe environment for a community dialogue around the proposed policy, (5) training of (oral) healthcare professionals on science communication and policy advocacy in local lay language/dialect, ideally evidence informed from local/regional studies, (6) selecting the appropriate political window of opportunity to introduce a sugar tax policy, and (7) clear and strict conflict of interest regulations to limit the influence of commercial players on health policy.