NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 12— Kenya has expanded its treatment options for diabetes and obesity with the introduction of Ozempic and Wegovy, but experts say the impact of the new medicines will ultimately depend on whether patients can afford them and whether more Kenyans are diagnosed early.

📻 Breaking It Down

Pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk officially launched the prescription medicines in Nairobi on Saturday, amid growing concern over the rise of type 2 diabetes, obesity and related cardiovascular and metabolic conditions.

Ozempic has been introduced for the management of type 2 diabetes, while Wegovy is intended for weight management among eligible people living with obesity or those who are overweight and have associated health conditions.

Both medicines contain semaglutide, but they are prescribed for different purposes and at different doses.

📌 What You Need to Know

Health professionals at the launch stressed that neither medicine should be used without proper medical assessment and supervision.

The launch comes as Kenya and the wider African region face an expanding burden of non-communicable diseases, putting additional pressure on health systems already dealing with significant unmet medical needs.

Consultant physician and endocrinologist Dr Roseline Ngugi said diabetes prevalence across Africa had increased sharply over the past decade.

“Africa alone has seen a rise in the prevalence of diabetes of over 142 per cent in the last ten years,” Ngugi said.

She warned that the challenge is compounded by the number of people living with diabetes without knowing they have the condition, leaving them vulnerable to complications affecting the heart, kidneys, eyes, nerves and blood vessels.

Ngugi said greater investment in screening and early diagnosis was therefore essential, arguing that access to medicines alone would not reverse the trend.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya