The WHO needs to develop a strategy to radically expand access to the new drugs that are effective for weight loss. An astonishing number of persons are considered obese, and this has negative impacts on the incidence of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, arthritis and mental health.

The WHO also needs to work with experts and others to propose new incentives for R&D for rare diseases that are consistent with affordable prices of products. The reliance on a temporary monopoly as the incentive to invest in R&D for treatments has created enormous inequality of access and negative impacts on health care budgets. We can do better.