WHO Endorses GLP-1 Drugs as Obesity Fight Escalates, Warns of Equity Concerns
Geneva – The World Health Organization (WHO) is recommending the use of GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs – initially developed for diabetes – to combat the global obesity epidemic, a move signaling a significant shift in strategies to address a rapidly growing health crisis. The endorsement comes as projections estimate the economic burden of obesity could reach $3 trillion annually by 2030 if left unchecked,straining healthcare systems worldwide.
Obesity rates have risen dramatically in recent decades, impacting billions globally and contributing to a surge in related diseases like heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. While lifestyle interventions remain crucial, the WHO acknowledges the potential of GLP-1 drugs to offer a new, effective tool in managing the condition. Though, the organization simultaneously cautioned that the high cost of these medications threatens equitable access, potentially exacerbating health disparities between and within nations.
“There is a possibility that we can change this epidemiological trajectory of obesity,” stated Francesca Celletti, WHO senior advisor on obesity, to AFP. The WHO estimates that without intervention, the global costs of overweight and obesity will soar to $3 trillion per year by 2030. “If we do not change the curve in some way, the pressure on health systems will become untenable,” warned Dr. M. Farrar.
A key concern raised by the WHO is the affordability of GLP-1s,which has already led to shortages for diabetic patients for whom the drugs were originally intended. ”Our main concern is that of equitable access,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.”Without concerted action, these drugs could contribute to widening the gap between rich and poor, between countries and between people within the same country.”
The WHO’s advice arrives amid a “revolution” in obesity treatments, with ongoing research and progress of new pharmaceutical interventions.(Read more: https://www.lemonde.fr/sciences/article/2024/06/10/les-traitements-de-l-obesite-vivent-une-revolution_6238516_1650684.html).
