KARACHI: US medical device giant Boston Scientific has launched a minimally invasive obesity treatment in Pakistan, as health experts warn that more than 100 million adults in the South Asian nation are overweight or obese, straining one of the region’s most fragile health care systems.
The procedure, known as endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG), will be available exclusively at the Sindh Institute of Advanced Gastroenterology (SIAG) in Karachi.
ESG reduces stomach volume without surgery, offering patients a new option to manage obesity and related conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.
“This launch demonstrates how American innovation drives transformative health care solutions worldwide,” US Consul General Charles Goodman said at the launch event. “This collaboration between Boston Scientific and SIAG reflects the strong US–Pakistan partnership, delivering advanced medical technologies to address obesity, diabetes and heart disease.”
Officials said the introduction of ESG underlines US commitment to investing in Pakistan’s health sector while expanding access to innovative treatments in one of the world’s fastest-growing obesity markets.
Pakistan faces one of the world’s most alarming obesity epidemics. Experts say more than three out of every four adults are overweight or obese, making excess weight the leading driver of diabetes, hypertension, strokes, cancers and kidney failure in the country.
Nationwide, only one in five adults is within a normal body mass index, according to findings presented at the American Society for Preventive Cardiology in Boston earlier this year.
Health specialists warn that without urgent action, obesity could cripple Pakistan’s health system.
“Obesity is the mother of all sins — controlling it can help prevent and manage most major diseases afflicting our population,” said Dr. Riasat Ali Khan, president of the Primary Care Diabetes Association of Pakistan.
Boston Scientific’s launch adds to a growing wave of anti-obesity treatments becoming available in Pakistan, including generic tirzepatide, a diabetes and weight-loss therapy hailed globally as a breakthrough drug.
