At the China Development Forum 2026 annual meeting held in Beijing from March 22 to 23, Eli Lilly's Chairman and CEO David A. Ricks spoke during a seminar focused on the "Healthy China 2030" initiative and the development of the health industry. He highly commended China's significant achievements in the health sector, noting a substantial increase in life expectancy in recent years, outstanding results in the prevention and eradication of infectious diseases, and the introduction of multiple substantive reforms over the past decade in areas such as basic medical insurance, continuously improving the health system.
As China's population lives longer, enhancing the average health status has become a new priority, with chronic diseases posing a core challenge in this area. Ricks stated that this is not a challenge unique to China; most countries face similar issues accompanying economic development, urbanization, and an aging population. He acknowledged the encouraging progress China has made in responding to population aging and clearly expressed that Eli Lilly will fully support China's various initiatives in proactive health management, health system reform, and the prevention and control of chronic diseases, aiding China in optimizing and implementing related health strategies.
Ricks mentioned that Eli Lilly has had the privilege of participating in work related to cancer screening and Alzheimer's disease screening, witnessing firsthand the important achievements China has made in chronic disease prevention and control. He expressed gratitude for all efforts dedicated to improving the health of the Chinese people. He emphasized that humanity now possesses the ability to prevent nearly 200 types of chronic diseases. Various new technologies can not only optimize the effectiveness of already approved drugs but also specifically address issues closely related to chronic diseases, such as overweight and obesity.
Citing recent Chinese research data, Ricks pointed out that obesity can trigger over 200 chronic diseases, leading to an annual increase in expenditure of up to one trillion yuan and causing productivity decline and absenteeism in 60% of the population. He stated that such consequences are not irreversible and can be improved without requiring excessively high technical thresholds. Eli Lilly has already launched several related drugs in China and will continue to advance clinical research and development to introduce more new drugs, facilitating transformation and improvement in the fields of weight reduction and chronic disease prevention and control.
Based on this, Ricks put forward three specific suggestions focusing on chronic disease prevention and control and weight management in China.
The first suggestion is to call for designating this year as "Weight Management Year" during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, while formulating a long-term implementation plan and allocating special funds. This would promote collaboration among various government departments to implement related weight management projects and establish a long-term working mechanism.
The second suggestion involves optimizing rules related to medical intervention. He proposed that, drawing on international experience and following the definitions of obesity by the World Health Organization and The Lancet, access to obesity management medications should be expanded. These drugs should be included in the National Essential Drug List, and weight management services should be incorporated into basic medical care. Ricks warned that the current rate of overweight and obesity among Chinese adults has already exceeded 50%. Without intervention, this proportion is expected to rise to 70% in the next decade, bringing a heavier economic burden. Promoting obesity management medications can not only effectively improve public health but also reduce overall healthcare costs.
Additionally, he suggested using Health Technology Assessment (HTA) policy to scientifically measure the effectiveness and cost-benefit of health technologies related to obesity management. A clear distinction should be made between clinical treatment and cosmetic weight loss, strengthening equitable financing—for example, by including weight-loss drugs like tirzepatide in enterprise employee medical insurance to support scientific weight management for employees.
