Under one in 10 people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it issues its first guidance on the drugs.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
According to projections, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and continuous treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to universal access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the current most optimistic outlook, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to increase availability, through approaches like voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research points to people may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the treatment, when their usual hunger return.
Being carrying excess weight raises your risk for contracting health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects people in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
