“It has to be evaluated by experts and it has to be within the indications defined by the DGS (Directorate-General of Health) for situations considered serious, where it is proven that there is cost-effectiveness,” said Ana Paula Martins, speaking to journalists after being vaccinated against the flu and Covid-19 at a pharmacy in Porto Salvo, in the municipality of Oeiras.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended for the first time expanding the use of a class of medications used in diabetes and weight loss to treat obesity, which affects one billion people worldwide.

The WHO argues that these treatments, used to treat diabetes and obesity, should be universally and financially accessible. "It is a recommendation that both Infarmed, through the experts who evaluate medicines and their implications, and the Directorate-General of Health, which looks at integrated care processes in the area of ​​obesity, will naturally take into account, within the technical indications and the needs of people living with obesity who require particular attention," said the minister.

Also questioned by journalists, the Director-General of Health, Rita Sá Machado, recalled that the DGS has already developed a care pathway for people with obesity and that there is already a government decree that opens the possibility of co-payment for obesity medications, noting that Infarmed is conducting a study on the matter.

"This approach is being studied by Infarmed (...) and we have to wait. (...) Everything we do has to be very carefully considered and guarantee not only what is best for citizens, but also what is public sustainability," she said.