WHO Endorses Weight-Loss Drugs: A New Era in Obesity Treatment

The World Health Organization is set to endorse weight-loss drugs for treating obesity in adults, marking a pivotal shift in its approach. By focusing on improving access in low-income regions, WHO aims to make these treatments more viable globally, backed by a strategy including clinical and lifestyle interventions.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is poised to endorse the use of weight-loss drugs as a treatment for adult obesity, according to a memo reviewed by Reuters. This signals a significant policy shift as the agency seeks to tackle the escalating global obesity crisis.

Currently, over a billion individuals suffer from obesity worldwide, with 70% residing in low and middle-income countries. The drugs, developed by Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, have shown promising results, helping patients reduce 15% to 20% of their body weight. However, concerns about cost and accessibility persist.

WHO is devising recommendations to integrate these drugs into a chronic care model encompassing both clinical and lifestyle interventions by late summer. Concurrently, they are evaluating including these drugs in WHO's essential medicines list, a move that could widen their availability in lower-income regions.

(With inputs from agencies.)