Under one in 10 people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, over two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and ongoing support," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to broad availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even in the current most optimistic case, the production of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to expand access, through strategies including licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so people reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research points to people may regain a significant portion within a year of stopping the medication, as their normal appetite come back.
Being overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for developing health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in every country and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
