Ozempic, Wegovy enter Kenya as diabetes, obesity burden mounts

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.

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.

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.

The launch also placed obesity at the centre of the country’s growing cardio-metabolic health challenge.

Ngugi rejected the view that obesity should be treated simply as a consequence of personal lifestyle choices, saying it should instead be recognised as a medical condition closely associated with other serious diseases.

“Obesity is not a lifestyle disease. It is a metabolic condition closely causing cardio-metabolic diseases,” she said.

She said obesity was increasingly affecting different age groups, including children, raising concerns about the long-term health consequences for future generations.

Affordability question

While the arrival of Ozempic and Wegovy gives Kenyan patients and doctors additional treatment options, questions remain over how widely the medicines will be accessible.

Ngugi said affordability and availability had historically been major barriers to treatment for chronic conditions.

“One of the problems we had is accessibility. However, I am excited to announce that the price they are offering is affordable,” she said.

No specific retail prices for the two medicines were provided during the launch.

The question of cost is particularly significant for chronic conditions that require sustained treatment. Experts said broader access would require collaboration between government, insurers, healthcare providers and other stakeholders.

The medicines are prescription treatments and are not intended for unsupervised use or to be treated as interchangeable simply because they contain the same active ingredient.

Doctors must assess a patient’s medical history, condition and eligibility before prescribing them, while patients require continued monitoring because, like other medicines, they can have side effects and may not be appropriate for everyone.

Novo Nordisk Business Area Africa Head Malika De Maillard said the scale of diabetes and obesity across Africa underscored the need for stronger health responses.

“There is a great medical need for diabetic patients,” De Maillard said.

She pointed to the links between diabetes and other cardio-metabolic conditions, including cardiovascular and kidney disease, arguing for treatment approaches that address interconnected health risks rather than isolated conditions.

The company said healthcare professionals would receive information on patient eligibility, prescribing and appropriate use of the medicines, alongside information on patient-support programmes.

Ozempic is used by adults with type 2 diabetes to help control blood sugar alongside appropriate diet and physical activity.

Wegovy is used together with dietary and physical-activity interventions to support weight management in eligible patients with obesity or excess weight and related medical conditions.

Kenya-Denmark health ties

Danish Ambassador to Kenya Stephan Schønemann welcomed the availability of additional treatment options for patients.

“We are giving people with diabetes a better option,” Schønemann said.

He linked the launch to the longstanding Kenya-Denmark relationship and called for deeper cooperation in healthcare, innovation and knowledge exchange.

The ambassador also highlighted disparities in health outcomes and the need to address the underlying conditions contributing to those differences.

Experts said medicines should form part of a broader response combining prevention, public awareness, screening, early diagnosis, professional training and sustained follow-up care.

The expansion of treatment options also puts pressure on policymakers and insurers to consider whether such medicines can eventually be incorporated into broader healthcare financing arrangements.