Fewer than one in 10 individuals who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it releases its initial recommendations on the therapies.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and continuous support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to universal availability to the jabs that can help people shift substantial weight, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even under the present most optimistic case, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The advice urges governments and firms to increase availability, by strategies like licensing agreements.
A patent on the active ingredient – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Work
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so users eat less.
People commonly see weight reduction after several weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies indicates users may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the medication, when their typical hunger come back.
To be carrying excess weight raises your chance for contracting medical conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
