SA reviewing GLP-1 medications (Ozempic, Mounjaro) to treat obesity

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Monday said it supports the use of GLP-1 therapies for long-term treatment of obesity. 

This comes after demand for the class drugs, including for brands such as Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Liraglutide, surged worldwide, and governments grapple with including them in public health systems. 

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Speaking to 702’s Bongani Bingwa, Jeanette Hunter, Deputy Director-General for Primary Health Care at the National Department of Health, says obesity rates in South Africa are alarming.

According to last year’s National Food and Nutrition Society Survey, 31% of men and 68% of women in the country are overweight or obese.

She notes that the Essential Medicine List Committee is reviewing the potential inclusion of GLP-1 medications and their cost-effectiveness. 

“At the moment, the medication is quite costly, even for people in the private sector.”

Hunter adds that scientific evidence on long-term effects and post-treatment outcomes is also limited.

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“What happens when people come off them? Early signs seem to show that people do regain weight, so this is a cautious recommendation,” she says.

To listen to Hunter in conversation with 702’s Bongani Bingwa, click below: