India, July 21 -- A modelling study finds that a 20% tax on sugary drinks in Egypt could prevent hundreds of thousands of obesity and diabetes cases.

It could also cut heart disease, strokes, cancers and tooth decay, and save about $1.8 billion in healthcare costs over 25 years.

Researchers say the measure would add 1.6 million healthy life years and offer a powerful, low-cost tool against non-communicable diseases.

Non-communicable diseases -heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer - are no longer just a rich-country problem. Across Africa, they are becoming the leading cause of death, driven in part by a simple and overlooked culprit: what people drink.

Globally, 2.2 million new cases of type 2 diabetes and 1.2 million new cardiovasc...