Tue Sep 16 16:43:30 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary of the text and a rewrite as a news article from The Hindu’s perspective:

**Summary:**

The World Health Organization (WHO) has updated its Model Lists of Essential Medicines (EML) to include GLP-1 drugs (semaglutide, dulaglutide, liraglutide, and tirzepatide) used for treating type 2 diabetes, especially in patients with cardiovascular or kidney disease and obesity. The decision aims to improve access and affordability of these drugs, given the rising global prevalence of diabetes and obesity. While experts in India welcome the move, some caution that the high cost may limit its immediate impact on the broader population who need essential, low-cost treatments for diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. Others emphasize the significant benefits of these drugs beyond glucose control, including weight reduction and potential for treating metabolic liver disease, suggesting it is a good step forward.

**News Article:**

**The Hindu: WHO Adds GLP-1 Drugs to Essential Medicines List, Sparking Debate on Access in India**

**New Delhi, September 16, 2025:** In a move hailed as potentially transformative for diabetes and obesity treatment, the World Health Organization (WHO) has added glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists to its Model Lists of Essential Medicines (EML). This decision, announced following the 25th meeting of the WHO Expert Committee on the Selection and Use of Essential Medicines, includes drugs like semaglutide, dulaglutide, liraglutide, and tirzepatide, used to treat type 2 diabetes, especially in adults with cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and obesity.

The WHO cites the urgent global health challenges posed by diabetes and obesity as the primary rationale. Statistics reveal over 800 million people worldwide live with diabetes, with half untreated, and over a billion are affected by obesity.

“Listing a medicine on the EML is one step in a series of actions that can lead to lower costs, better affordability, and greater access,” said Deusdedit Mubangizi, WHO Director of Policy and Standards for Medicines and Health Products.

However, the inclusion has sparked a debate within the Indian medical community regarding its potential impact on accessibility. Dr. Anoop Mishra, Head of Fortis C-DOC Hospital for Diabetes and Allied Sciences, while calling it a positive step, cautioned, “In India, these types of drugs will benefit only a small number of people, while other life-saving, low-cost essential medicines for diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, applicable to a large number of people, remain largely unavailable.”

Conversely, Dr. V. Mohan, Chairman of Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialties Centre (DMDSC), expressed strong support. “I’m very happy that the WHO has included the GLP-1 class of drugs. The fact that even a conservative organization like the WHO has included these rather expensive drugs in their EML shows how compelling the evidence is…they have tremendous effect on weight reduction and obesity management.” Dr. Mohan also noted the recent approval of injectable semaglutide for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Dr. R.M. Anjana, Managing Director, DMDSC, added, “It will definitely help improve access and affordability. But will it be useful as a first-line drug? This maybe not for everyone…as there are various subtypes of diabetes. But for those in whom it is indicated, it’s a good step forward.”

The WHO’s EML is updated every two years by a committee of global specialists to address emerging health threats and promote access to essential medicines. The inclusion of GLP-1 drugs underscores the growing recognition of their efficacy in managing diabetes and obesity, but the challenge of affordability remains a significant hurdle, particularly in low- and middle-income countries like India.

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