Chinese doctors call for insurance coverage for weight-loss drugs

Some doctors in China want national insurance coverage for weight-loss drugs to tackle endemic obesity, medical professionals said.

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Obesity is China’s sixth leading risk factor in disability and death, yet long-term weight-loss drugs that doctors have said could help reduce its prevalence can cost half a patient’s salary.

“Rising obesity rates combined with the high cost of treatment drugs are straining the healthcare system, prompting physicians to address access gaps,” said Professor Yanzhong Huang, senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Unhealthy meals and stressful or less physically demanding jobs are set to push the rate of overweight or obese people to over 65 per cent by 2030, in the world’s second-most populous country with 1.4 billion people.

The government introduced its first set of guidelines in 2024 to standardise the diagnosis and treatment of obesity.

Yet, it does not plan to include weight-loss drugs in the national medical insurance scheme, instead directing funds elsewhere.