Under a tenth of people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it releases its initial guidance on the medications.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is urging increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and continuous support," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to broad availability to the injections that can help people shift significant weight, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Despite the current best projected case, the production of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to expand availability, via strategies such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Work
These medications mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase satiety so people reduce food intake.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests people may regain a significant portion after a year of discontinuing the treatment, because their normal appetite resume.
Being carrying excess weight increases your risk for contracting diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in countries worldwide and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
