Fewer than 10% of people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it issues its first recommendations on the therapies.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to universal availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the present best projected case, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The advice urges governments and firms to expand access, through approaches such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Function
The injections imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence points to people may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the treatment, when their typical hunger resume.
Being carrying excess weight raises your likelihood for experiencing health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
