Obesity medication ignites controversy and World Health Organization resolves the matter
Obesity drug ignites controversy and the World Health Organization resolves the matter
Before talking about obesity, we must be aware that health stands at a close distance from sustainable development. The dimensions of development - socially, economically and environmentally - cannot be achieved without achieving Goal No. (3) “good health and well-being.” Issues such as environmental pollution, gender inequality, and imbalances in economic growth efforts; All of them depend on the members of society being healthy and physically fit to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
From this standpoint, some chronic diseases remain an obstacle in this field, including obesity. It is a disease of the times that can undermine sustainable development efforts. It is a disease that has tripled globally - according to World Health Organization estimates - in the past four decades, with overweight affecting approximately 2 billion adults. Of these,650 million adults were obese.
The problem of obesity and its impact on sustainable development
Therefore, the World Health Organization announced - in a step considered the first of its kind - that it is supporting the use of medications intended for weight loss and treatment of obesity, according to an internal memorandum seen by Reuters. The anticipated decision indicates a noticeable shift in the way this escalating health challenge is addressed, especially since the number of people suffering from obesity in the world has exceeded one billion people, the majority of whom live in low- or middle-income countries.
This step comes at a time when obesity - as we mentioned before - has become a health threat with intertwined social, economic and environmental dimensions, as it is considered one of the main factors causing heart disease, diabetes and cancer, and directly affects the productivity of individuals and the well-being of societies. Which makes combating it a necessity to achieve Goal (3) of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), related to good health and well-being.
Pharmaceutical capabilities against obesity
The World Health Organization is basing its new position on recent medical data proving the feasibility of a group of medications known as “Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists” (in English: Glucagon-(like peptide-1 receptor agonist), which is a class of treatments used to regulate blood sugar levels, and helps suppress appetite by imitating the effect of a natural hormone in the body.
Among these drugs, “Wejovi” from Novo Nordisk and “Zipbound” from Eli Lilly stand out. Clinical trials show that patients who used these drugs lost between 15% and 20% of their weight. Which is considered a promising achievement in the field of obesity treatment.
However, these positive results encounter a major obstacle related to the cost of treatment. These drugs were introduced in the United States at a monthly cost exceeding $1,000, and patients will likely need to use them continuously to maintain results, which indicates a doubling of the financial burden on individuals and public health systems, especially in developing countries.
From this standpoint, the World Health Organization is called upon to develop effective strategies to improve access to these medicines, including mechanisms such as a tiered pricing mechanism or a group purchasing mechanism, which have previously proven successful in facilitating access to HIV treatments at the turn of the millennium, when they were included in the organization’s list of essential medicines.
The World Health Organization resolves the matter
A committee of experts from the World Health Organization is scheduled to meet next week; To consider including “GLP-1” drugs in the list of essential medicines, whether for the treatment of obesity or type 2 diabetes, as this list is an essential reference for public health systems, and plays a pivotal role in making essential medicines available at reasonable prices - especially in countries that face challenges in financing the health sector - or in equitable access to effective treatments.
Although the same committee refused last year to include these drugs due to insufficient evidence about their long-term medical feasibility, the new memorandum issued by the organization explicitly calls for a reconsideration of this decision, based on new results that support the effectiveness of the drug within the framework of a comprehensive treatment that includes lifestyle changes and clinical care.
In an indication that prices will decline in the future, the document indicates that the patent for the active ingredient in the drug “WiGovi” - known as semaglutide - will expire in some markets by next year, and this will open the way for the production of low-cost equivalent copies. It is worth noting that liraglutide, used in the older generation of these drugs, has already become available as a generic treatment in the United States and Europe.
An integrated approach to treating obesity
With the availability of these potential drug alternatives, the World Health Organization stresses that relying on medication alone is not enough, but rather it should be integrated into a comprehensive therapeutic approach to address obesity. According to the organization, these medications are a supportive component within a care model that relies on a combination of clinical, behavioral and nutritional interventions. From this standpoint, the organization has been working since 2022 to formulate recommendations to establish an integrated framework for dealing with obesity, taking into account the needs of different age groups from children and adolescents to adults.
It is expected that these recommendations will be officially published in August or September of this year, to represent an international reference for national health policies, and to reinforce the idea that obesity is a chronic medical condition that requires systematic scientific intervention. This trend reflects the philosophy of sustainable health care, based on a balance between preventive treatment and long-term medical intervention, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Goal (3) “Good Health and Well-Being,” and Goal (10) “Reducing Inequalities.”
In this context, the obesity crisis reminds us that prevention is better than cure, which is the most important advice offered byEarth Guards; All individuals should follow healthy eating behaviors, engage in appropriate physical activity, limit the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, refrain from eating foods that contain calories, and increase the intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.
This healthy transformation requires multiple actions in the food industry sectors, such as implementing manufacturing models that seek to provide healthier food options, while ensuring that they are available at affordable prices to all consumers, and we can also impose restrictions on the marketing of foods that do not follow a sustainable approach in their production line.
Therefore,Earth Guards believes that the support provided by the World Health Organization for obesity medications is an important step, but it will not bear fruit without implementing these policies and these sustainable measures, while ensuring that treatment is available to all countries.
