Greece to introduce free drug treatments for obesity from September, Agapidaki says

Greece is extending its preventative medicine programme "Prolamvano" to include the treatment of obesity in children and adults, including courses of free prescription medication for weight loss starting in September, Alternate Health Minister Irene Agapidaki said on Friday, talking to ERT public television.
"As of September, innovative pharmaceutical treatment for obesity will be available, free of charge, for people with a Body Mass Index greater than 40," she said, while clarifying that approval will require a mandatory assessment by a pathologist, endocrinologist or general doctor and will also have to be accompanied by a regime of supervised diet and exercise.
Agapidaki then announced the creation of a digital app to promote healthy habits and exercise, in children and adults, with exercise programmes for the whole family, which will also be free, as part of the policy against child obesity.
Lastly, she announced a special new blood test to detect early signs of kidney failure, which will be added to the programme for people with diabetes and higher cardiovascular risk, noting that early-stage kidney damage does not present symptoms, while it can be prevented if caught early.
The minister explained that all the precautionary exams under the Prolamvano programme are free, that diagnostic centres can see which tests each citizen is eligible for in the system, while this automatically issues referrals for the next step, without action on the part of the patients. She noted that 3.6 million citizens have been tested under the 'Prolamvano' programme and that "a culture of prevention is being built up in Greece for the first time."