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10/06/2025   PR Web Health & Fitness

32nd Annual Gala Will Be Held at Pier 60, Chelsea Piers in New York City NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Nonprofit organization Children's Hope India (CHI) today announced the 2025 honorees for its annual fundraising gala which will celebrate leaders in finance, business,...

10/06/2025   PR Web Health & Fitness

Schedule a no-cost Medicare review with Rodney Powell, Texas Top-Rated Local Agent in 2025 on Medicare Agents Hub, during AEP (Oct 15–Dec 7). Compare Medigap, Medicare Advantage, Part D. THE WOODLANDS, Texas, Oct. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Rodney POWELL, the "Medicare Video Guy" and...

10/06/2025   PR Web Health & Fitness

MedTrainer announces the launch of AI Course Expert, an AI assistant that immediately surfaces compliance training requirements tailored specifically to each healthcare organization's regulations and care settings. LAS VEGAS, Oct. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- MedTrainer, the healthcare...

10/06/2025   PR Web Health & Fitness

SightMD Connecticut, a leading multispecialty eye care provider, is proud to announce that Frank Won, O.D., has joined the practice and will be seeing patients at the Enfield location. With nearly 20 years of full-scope clinical and leadership experience, Dr. Won brings a wealth of...

10/06/2025   PR Web Health & Fitness

Dental Revenue, a national leader in dental marketing solutions, is proud to announce a new partnership with Harbor Dental Society, a trusted resource and advocate for dental professionals in Southern California. This joint venture is designed to deliver a comprehensive suite of marketing...

10/06/2025   PR Web Health & Fitness

Dykema's Industry-Leading Dental Services Group welcomes four former Department of Justice attorneys, creating what is believed to be the largest concentration of high-level DOJ experience in the Southwest. The team advises healthcare and dental organizations on investigations, audits,...

10/06/2025   PR Web Health & Fitness

RoosterBio Inc., a leading supplier of human mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs), highly engineered media, and bioprocess development services, and Secretome Therapeutics, a clinic-stage company developing novel therapies derived from neonatal cardiac progenitor cells (nCPC) today...

10/06/2025   WHO News

The world is smoking less, but the tobacco epidemic is far from over. A new WHO global report shows the number of tobacco users has dropped from 1.38 billion in 2000 to 1.2 billion in 2024. Since 2010, the number of people using tobacco has dropped by 120 million – a 27% drop in relative terms. Yet, tobacco still hooks one in five adults worldwide, fuelling millions of preventable deaths every year.

“Millions of people are stopping, or not taking up, tobacco use thanks to tobacco control efforts by countries around the world,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “In response to this strong progress, the tobacco industry is fighting back with new nicotine products, aggressively targeting young people. Governments must act faster and stronger in implementing proven tobacco control policies.”

For the first time, WHO has estimated global e-cigarette use – and the numbers are alarming: more than 100 million people worldwide are now vaping. This includes:

  • Adults: at least 86 million users, mostly in high-income countries.
  • Adolescents: at least 15 million children (13–15 years) already using e-cigarettes. In countries with data, children are on average nine times more likely than adults to vape.

The tobacco industry is introducing an incessant chain of new products and technologies for its aim to market tobacco addiction with not just cigarettes but also e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, heated tobacco products among others, which all harm people’s health, and more worryingly the health of new generations, youth and adolescents.

“E-cigarettes are fuelling a new wave of nicotine addiction,” said Etienne Krug, WHO Director of Health Determinants, Promotion and Prevention Department. “They are marketed as harm reduction but, in reality, are hooking kids on nicotine earlier and risk undermining decades of progress.”

More women are quitting tobacco than men

While there has been a steady decline in tobacco use for both men and women across all age-groups during 2000–2024, women have been leading the charge to quit tobacco. They hit the global reduction target for 2025 five years early, reaching the 30% milestone back in 2020. Prevalence of tobacco use among women dropped from 11% in 2010 to just 6.6% in 2024, with the number of female tobacco users falling from 277 million in 2010 to 206 million in 2024.

By contrast, men are not expected to reach the goal until 2031. Today, more than four out of five tobacco users worldwide are men, with just under 1 billion men still using tobacco. While prevalence among men has fallen from 41.4% in 2010 to 32.5% in 2024, the pace of change is too slow.

Regional picture

  • South-East Asia: Once the world’s hotspot, prevalence among men nearly halved – from 70% in 2000 to 37% in 2024. The Region alone accounts for over half of the global decline.
  • Africa: Prevalence is the lowest of all regions at 9.5% in 2024, and the Region is on track to meet the 30% target. However, because of population growth, the absolute number of tobacco users continues to rise.
  • Americas: The Region has achieved a 36% relative reduction, with prevalence dropping to 14% in 2024, though some countries still lack sufficient data.
  • Europe: This is now the highest-prevalence Region globally, with 24.1% of adults using tobacco in 2024, with women in Europe having the highest global prevalence at 17.4%.
  • Eastern Mediterranean: Prevalence is 18%, with tobacco use continuing to rise in some countries.
  • Western Pacific: With 22.9% of adults using tobacco in 2024, down from 25.8% in 2010, the progress in this Region is the slowest. While women have low prevalence at 2.5%, men have the highest prevalence of all regions at 43.3%.

Actions needed

WHO is urging governments everywhere to step up tobacco control. This means fully implementing and enforcing the MPOWER package and the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, closing loopholes that allow the tobacco and nicotine industries to target children, and regulating new nicotine products like e-cigarettes. It also means raising tobacco taxes, banning advertising, and expanding cessation services so that millions more people can quit.

“Nearly 20% of adults people still use tobacco and nicotine products. We cannot let up now,” said Jeremy Farrar, WHO Assistant Director-General for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and Care. “The world has made gains, but stronger, faster action is the only way to beat the tobacco epidemic.”
 

Note to editors

Findings of the new report titled, “WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2024 and projections 2025–2030” are based on 2034 national surveys, covering 97% of the global population. The data underpin global reporting on SDG Target 3.a and the WHO NCD Global Action Plan, which aimed for a 30% relative reduction in tobacco use by 2025. Current progress: 27% reduction, falling short by 50 million users.

 

10/06/2025   PR Web Health & Fitness

FRISCO, Texas, Oct. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- TriCelX, Inc. ("TriCelX"), a global translational leader in evidence-based biologics, announced FDA registration of its ISO Level 7 (FED 209E class 10,000 classification) cleanroom and FDA-compliant cell processing facility at The Baylor...

10/06/2025   PR Web Health & Fitness

Entire portfolio of Knauf Performance+® Insulation now Certified Asthma & Allergy Friendly®, supporting better indoor air quality WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and Allergy Standards Limited (ASL) announce that the entire...

10/06/2025   PR Web Health & Fitness

GlucoseReady™ selected as finalist for "Best Digital Health Solution". WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Oct. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Clinical ink is delighted to announce its selection as finalist in the 'Best Digital Health Solution' category of the 2025 Prix Galien USA Awards for the second...

10/06/2025   PR Web Health & Fitness

Mannford's first urgent care clinic offers less cost, less wait and quality care at a fraction of the cost of a typical ER visit MANNFORD, Okla., Oct. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Xpress Wellness, a leading provider of urgent care, virtual primary care and occupational medicine services...

10/06/2025   PR Web Health & Fitness

Palestine's newest urgent care clinic offers less cost, less wait and quality care at a fraction of the cost of a typical ER visit PALESTINE, Texas, Oct. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Integrity Urgent Care, a Texas-based family of urgent care clinics dedicated to enhancing communities...

10/06/2025   PR Web Health & Fitness

Community engagement manual advances equity and community power LOS ANGELES, Oct. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- A groundbreaking new manual and tool set, created through a powerful collaboration between the Community Transformation Collective (CTC), a division of Para Los Niños (PLN), and...

10/06/2025   PR Web Health & Fitness

CNI College Celebrates Fourth Consecutive Year as Best Nursing School SANTA ANA, Calif., Oct. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- CNI College has once again been voted #1 Nursing School in Orange County in the Orange County Register's 32nd Annual Best of Orange County People's Choice Awards —...

10/06/2025   PR Web Health & Fitness

The Healthcare Technology Report is pleased to announce The Top 25 Healthcare Software Executives of 2025. NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Healthcare Technology Report is pleased to announce The Top 25 Healthcare Software Executives of 2025. CEO Abhinav Shashank guided...

10/06/2025   PR Web Health & Fitness

The Consulting Report is pleased to announce The Top 25 Healthcare Consultants and Leaders of 2025. NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Consulting Report is pleased to announce The Top 25 Healthcare Consultants and Leaders of 2025. Representing leading global firms, this...

10/06/2025   PR Web Health & Fitness

Nurse.org and The Nursing Beat are joining forces to help nurses thrive in every stage of their career. From breaking news to career tools and resources, the largest nursing community online now has even more to offer. BELLEVUE, Wash., Oct. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Nurse.org, the...

10/05/2025   PR Web Health & Fitness

Analgesic Healthcare has pledged relief funds to aid victims of the 6.9-magnitude earthquake in Cebu Province, Philippines. The company reaffirms it's duty as a healthcare organization to stand with communities in times of crisis. TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Analgesic...

10/05/2025   PR Web Health & Fitness

Brightn partners with Empowering Excellence Charter School to deliver AI-powered, stigma-free mental wellness support for Cedar Rapids students–helping teens build resilience, healthy habits, and purpose alongside their academics. CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, Oct. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --...

10/03/2025   PR Web Health & Fitness

Green Valley Naturals announced a new phase of growth under the leadership of Stuart A. Benson, a 40-year consumer-brand veteran who led the company's 2025 acquisition. Benson's team will expand product development and distribution while sharpening the brand's focus on longevity. Flagship...

10/03/2025   WHO News

Through landmark new guidelines released today, leading reproductive health agencies are calling for a major shift in how postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is prevented, diagnosed and treated. The recommendations highlight the urgent need for earlier detection and faster intervention – steps that could save the lives of tens of thousands of women each year.

Defined as excessive bleeding after childbirth, PPH affects millions of women annually and causes nearly 45 000 deaths, making it one of the leading causes of maternal mortality globally. Even when not fatal, it can lead to lifelong physical and mental health impacts, from major organ damage to hysterectomies, anxiety and trauma.

“Postpartum haemorrhage is the most dangerous childbirth complication since it can escalate with such alarming speed. While it is not always predictable, deaths are preventable with the right care,” said Dr Jeremy Farrar, Assistant Director-General for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and Care. “These guidelines are designed to maximize impact where the burden is highest and resources are most limited – helping ensure more women survive childbirth and can return home safely to their families.”

New diagnostic criteria for rapid action

Published by the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) and the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), the guidelines introduce new objective diagnostic criteria for detecting PPH, based on the largest study on the topic to date – also published today in The Lancet.

Many PPH cases occur without identifiable risk factors, meaning early detection and rapid response is critical. Yet in many settings, especially where healthcare resources and labour wards are overstretched, delays in treatment result in devastating consequences.

Typically, PPH has been diagnosed as a blood loss of 500 mL or more. Now, clinicians are also advised to act when the blood loss reaches 300 mL, and any abnormal vital signs have been observed. To diagnose PPH early, doctors and midwives are advised to monitor women closely after birth and use calibrated drapes – simple devices that collect and accurately quantify lost blood – so that they can act immediately when criteria are met.

The guidelines recommend the immediate deployment of the MOTIVE bundle of actions once PPH has been diagnosed. This includes:

  • Massage of the uterus;
  • Oxytocic drugs to stimulate contractions;
  • Tranexamic acid (TXA) to reduce bleeding;
  • Intravenous fluids;
  • Vaginal and genital tract examination; and
  • Escalation of care if bleeding persists.

In rare cases where bleeding continues, the guidelines recommend effective interventions such as surgery or blood transfusion to safely stabilize a woman’s condition until further treatment becomes available.

“Women affected by PPH need care that is fast, feasible, effective and drives progress towards eliminating PPH-related deaths,” said Professor Anne Beatrice Kihara, President of FIGO. “These guidelines take a proactive approach of readiness, recognition and response. They are designed to ensure real-world impact – empowering health workers to deliver the right care, at the right time, and in a wide range of contexts.”

Reducing risks through effective prevention

The guidelines emphasize the importance of good antenatal and postnatal care to mitigate critical risk factors such as anaemia, which is highly prevalent in low- and lower-middle income countries. Anaemia increases the likelihood of PPH and worsens outcomes if it occurs. Recommendations for anaemic mothers include daily oral iron and folate during pregnancy and intravenous iron transfusions when rapid correction is needed, including after PPH, or, if oral therapy fails.

The publication also discourages unsafe practices such as routine episiotomies while promoting preventive techniques like perineal massage in late pregnancy, so as to reduce the likelihood of trauma and severe bleeding after birth.

During the third stage of labour, the guidelines recommend administering a quality-assured uterotonic to support uterine contraction, preferably oxytocin or heat-stable carbetocin as an alternative. If intravenous options are not available and the cold chain is unreliable, misoprostol may be used as a last resort.

“Midwives know first-hand how quickly postpartum haemorrhage can escalate and cost lives,” said Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent OBE, ICM’s Chief Midwife. “These guidelines are a game-changer. But to end preventable deaths from PPH, we need more than evidence and protocols. We call on governments, health systems, donors, and partners to step up, adopt these recommendations, adopt them quickly, and invest in midwives and maternal care so that postpartum haemorrhage becomes a tragedy of the past.”

The guidelines are accompanied by a suite of training and implementation resources, developed with partners including UNFPA. These tools consist of practical modules for frontline health workers, national-level guides for introducing new practices, and simulation-based training to strengthen emergency response.

These consolidated guidelines – the first to uniquely focus on PPH – are being launched at the 2025 FIGO World Congress in Cape Town, South Africa. They are a crucial step in the implementation of the Global roadmap to combat postpartum haemorrhage between 2023 and 2030.
 

Notes for editors

The guidelines contain 51 recommendations, drawing together existing and new evidence-based recommendations relevant to preventing, diagnosing and treating PPH.

A new study from WHO and the UN Special Programme on Human Reproduction (HRP) on diagnostic accuracy of indicators of serious postpartum bleeding involving over 300 000 women across 23 countries was also published today in The Lancet:

Gallos I, Williams CR, Price MJ, Tobias A, Devall A, Allotey J et al. Prognostic accuracy of clinical markers of postpartum bleeding in predicting maternal mortality or severe morbidity: a WHO individual participant data meta-analysis. Lancet. 2025 (https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(25)01639-3).

A commentary on the guidelines is also published today in the Lancet Global Health: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(25)00404-8/fulltext 

Funding for the guideline was provided through the Gates Foundation.

 

09/26/2025   WHO News
The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced its recommendations for the viral composition of influenza vaccines for use in the 2026 influenza season in the southern hemisphere. The announcement was made at an Information Meeting after a 4-day Consultation on the Composition of Influenza Virus Vaccines.
09/25/2025   CDC Travel Notices
There is an outbreak of chikungunya in Cuba. Mosquitoes spread the virus that causes chikungunya.
09/25/2025   WHO News
WHO Member States are actively progressing with the development of the Pathogens Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) system, a key component of the WHO Pandemic Agreement aimed at ensuring equitable and timely sharing of pathogen materials and related benefits. This work follows the historic adoption of the WHO Pandemic Agreement and amendments to the International Health Regulations, marking significant steps toward global pandemic preparedness.
09/25/2025   WHO News
World leaders have expressed overwhelming support for the text of the first United Nations global political declaration on responding to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health in an integrated manner. The declaration, negotiated during a five-month intergovernmental process, will be considered at the 80th session of the General Assembly for final approval in October 2025.
09/23/2025   WHO News

The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes that there is currently no conclusive scientific evidence confirming a possible link between autism and use of acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol) during pregnancy. 

Globally, nearly 62 million people (1 in 127) have autism spectrum disorder, a diverse group of conditions related to development of the brain. Although awareness and diagnosis have improved in recent years, the exact causes of autism have not been established, and it is understood there are multiple factors that can be involved.  

Extensive research has been undertaken over the past decade, including large-scale studies, looking into links between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism. At this time, no consistent association has been established. 

WHO recommends that all women continue to follow advice of their doctors or health workers, who can help assess individual circumstances and recommend necessary medicines. Any medicine should be used with caution during pregnancy, especially in the first three months, and in line with advice from health professionals. 

Also, a robust, extensive evidence base exists showing childhood vaccines do not cause autism. Large, high-quality  studies from many countries have all reached the same conclusion. Original studies suggesting a link were flawed and have been discredited. Since 1999, independent experts advising WHO have repeatedly confirmed that vaccines—including those with thiomersal or aluminum—do not cause autism or other developmental disorders.   

Childhood vaccine schedules are developed through a careful, extensive and evidence-based process involving global experts and country input. The childhood immunization schedule, carefully guided by WHO, has been adopted by all countries, and has saved at least 154 million lives over the past 50 years. The schedule remains essential for the health and wellbeing of every child and every community. These schedules have continually evolved with science and now safeguard children, adolescents and adults against 30 infectious diseases.  

Every vaccine recommendation by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE), an independent advisory group to WHO, is grounded in rigorous review of evidence and carefully designed to offer the best protection against serious diseases and to be delivered when most needed.   

When immunization schedules are delayed or disrupted, or altered without evidence review, there is a sharp increase in the risk of infection not only for the child, but also for the wider community. Infants too young to be vaccinated and people with weakened immune systems or underlying health conditions are at greatest risk.  

Autism and neurodevelopmental disorders are among priority mental health and neurological conditions being discussed at the 4th UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and mental health this Thursday, 25 September.  As a global community, we need to do more to understand the causes of autism and how best to care for and support the needs of autistic people and their families.   

WHO is committed to advancing this goal working together with partners including autistic-led organizations and other organizations representing persons with lived experience. WHO also stands with people who are living with autism and their families, a dignified community entitled to evidence-based considerations free of stigma.

09/23/2025   WHO News
The World Health Organization (WHO) today released its second Global hypertension report, showing that 1.4 billion people lived with hypertension in 2024, yet just over one in five have it under control either through medication or addressing modifiable health risks.
09/22/2025   WHO News
WHO and the European Union (EU) have renewed their collaboration on achieving universal health coverage with the launch of Phase V (2025–2028) of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Partnership – WHO’s largest platform for strengthening health systems and advancing primary health care.
09/19/2025   WHO News
Today marks a milestone in global health governance as the amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) enter into force. This reflects a renewed global commitment to cooperation in the face of public health emergencies, shaped by hard-earned lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic.
09/18/2025   WHO News
The World Health Organization (WHO) today released a new report titled “Saving lives, spending less”, revealing that an additional investment of just US$3 per person annually in tackling noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) could yield economic benefits of up to US$1 trillion by 2030.
09/15/2025   CDC Travel Notices
Dengue is a year-round risk in many parts of the world, with outbreaks commonly occurring every 2-5 years. Travelers to risk areas should prevent mosquito bites. Country List : Colombia, Panama, French Polynesia, including the island groups of Society Islands (Tahiti, Moorea, and Bora-Bora), Marquesas Islands (Hiva Oa and Ua Huka), and Austral Islands (Tubuai and Rurutu), Philippines, Comoros, Samoa, Cook Islands (New Zealand), Kiribati (formerly Gilbert Islands), includes Tarawa, Tabuaeran (Fanning Island), and Banaba (Ocean Island), Bangladesh, Mali, Tuvalu, Cuba, El Salvador, Nauru, Belize, Sudan, Vietnam
09/12/2025   WHO News
The global cholera statistics for 2024, shows an increase in both the number of people who fell sick and died from the disease. Reported cholera cases rose by 5% and deaths by 50% in 2024 compared to 2023, with more than 6000 people dying from a disease that is both preventable and treatable.
09/09/2025   CDC Travel Notices
Areas in several countries are reporting a low number of cases of Oropouche. Oropouche is spread primarily through the bites of infected midges (small flies) and mosquitoes. Country List : Brazil, Peru, Cuba, Panama
09/07/2025   CDC Travel Notices
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is experiencing an Ebola outbreak in the Bulape and Mweka Health Zones of Kasai Province.
09/05/2025   WHO News

Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) has released updated editions of its Model Lists of Essential Medicines (EML) and Essential Medicines for Children (EMLc), adding new treatments for various types of cancer and for diabetes with associated comorbidities such as obesity. Medicines for cystic fibrosis, psoriasis, haemophilia and blood-related disorders are among the other additions.

WHO EML and EMLc include medicines for priority health needs of populations. They are adopted in over 150 countries, serving as a basis for public sector procurement, supply of medicines and health insurance, reimbursement schemes. The revisions mark the 24th edition of WHO EML and 10th edition of EMLc.

“The new editions of essential medicines lists mark a significant step toward expanding access to new medicines with proven clinical benefits and with high potential for global public health impact,” said Dr Yukiko Nakatani, Assistant Director-General for Health Systems, Access and Data.

Launched in 1977 largely to promote better access to medicines in developing countries, the WHO Model Lists have become a trusted global policy tool for decisions related to the selection and universal coverage of medicines within all health systems.

The WHO Expert Committee on the Selection and Use of Essential Medicines reviewed 59 applications, including 31 proposals for the addition of new medicines or medicine classes. As a result, 20 new medicines were added to the EML and 15 to the EMLc, along with new use indications for seven already-listed products. The updated lists now include a total of 523 essential medicines for adults and 374 for children, reflecting the most pressing public health needs.

Cancer medicines

Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, claiming nearly 10 million lives each year and responsible for almost one in three premature deaths from noncommunicable diseases. Cancer treatments have been a major focus of the WHO EML for the past decade. With cancer medicines accounting today for about half of all new drug approvals by regulatory agencies, the Expert Committee applies rigorous criteria to recommend only those therapies that offer the greatest clinical benefit. As a result, few approved cancer medicines are included – only those proven to prolong life by at least 4-6 months.

Seven applications encompassing 25 cancer medicines were evaluated. As part of broader efforts to reduce inequities in cancer care, the Committee recommended increasing access to PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors, a class of immunotherapy medicines that help the body’s immune system recognize and attack cancer cells more effectively. Pembrolizumab was added to the EML as a first-line monotherapy for metastatic cervical cancer, metastatic colorectal cancer, and metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. For the latter, atezolizumab and cemiplimab are included as therapeutic alternatives.

The Committee also considered several expert-recommended strategies – highlighted in the cancer experts report – aimed at improving access to and affordability of cancer treatments. It endorsed evidence-based clinical and health system strategies, including dose optimisation approaches, to improve access. The Committee emphasized that while health system reforms require time and government action, clinical strategies can be implemented immediately to deliver faster benefits, especially in resource-limited settings.

Medicines for diabetes and obesity

Diabetes and obesity are two of the most urgent health challenges facing the world today. Over 800 million people were living with diabetes in 2022, with half going untreated. At the same time, more than 1 billion people worldwide are affected by obesity, and rates are rising especially fast in low- and middle-income countries. These two conditions are closely linked and can lead to serious health problems, including heart disease and kidney failure.

The WHO Expert Committee reviewed strong scientific evidence showing that a group of medicines called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists can help people with type 2 diabetes – especially those who also have heart or kidney disease – by improving blood sugar control, reducing the risk of heart and kidney complications, supporting weight loss, and even lowering the risk of early death.

GLP-1 receptor agonists – semaglutide, dulaglutide and liraglutide – and the GLP-1/glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) dual receptor agonist (tirzepatide) have been added to the EML. They are used as glucose lowering therapy for adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus with established cardiovascular disease or chronic kidney disease and obesity (defined as body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30kg/m2). This provides clear guidance to countries on which patients can benefit most from these therapies.

High prices of medicines like semaglutide and tirzepatide are limiting access to these medicines. Prioritizing those who would benefit most, encouraging generic competition to drive down prices and making these treatments available in primary care – especially in underserved areas – are key to expanding access and improving health outcomes. WHO will continue monitoring developments, support fair pricing strategies, and help countries improve access to these life-changing treatments.

“A large share of out-of-pocket spending on noncommunicable diseases goes toward medicines, including those classified as essential and that, in principle, should be financially accessible to everyone,” said Deusdedit Mubangizi, WHO Director of Policy and Standards for Medicines and Health Products. “Achieving equitable access to essential medicines requires a coherent health system response backed by strong political will, multisectoral cooperation, and people-centred programmes that leave no one behind.”

More details of the Expert Committee’s recommendations, describing the additions, changes and removal of medicines and formulations, and decisions not to recommend medicines are available in the Executive Summary here.

Note to editors

The meeting of the 25th WHO Expert Committee on the Selection and Use of Essential Medicines was held at WHO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, from 5 to 9 May 2025. The Expert Committee considered a total of 59 applications, assessing the scientific evidence on each medicine’s effectiveness, safety, comparative cost, and overall cost-effectiveness to inform its recommendations. The Committee also considered proposals relating to the definitions and update of the AWaRe (Access, Watch, Reserve) classification of antibiotics.

The Model Lists are updated every two years by an Expert Committee, made up of recognized specialists from academia, research and the medical and pharmaceutical professions, to address new health challenges, prioritize highly effective therapeutics and improve affordable access.