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Are weight-loss drugs a magic bullet?

Drugs originally designed for diabetes are at the centre of a global weight-loss revolution, and Africa is next in line. But how do they work, and what’s it like to be on them?

Weight-loss injections have become a major talking point, from Hollywood celebrities to TikTok influencers.

Originally developed to treat diabetes, these medications were later found to help people shed a lot of weight - a discovery that has rapidly expanded their global use. The World Health Organization has now released its first-ever guidance on prescribing them for obesity.

South Africa recently became the first country in Africa to formally approve one version of these drugs for weight loss, and access is slowly spreading across the continent.

We follow a Kenyan woman’s experience using the injections and we hear from a South African doctor who explains how they work - and what the latest medical research reveals so far.

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23 minutes

Podcast