Fewer than a tenth of people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its first guidance on the drugs.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to broad availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the current most favorable outlook, the supply of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to expand access, by measures such as patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so users reduce food intake.
Individuals typically see weight reduction after several weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence indicates patients may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the medication, when their usual food cravings return.
Being above a healthy weight increases your risk for contracting health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity affects people in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
