Less than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it publishes its initial advice on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and ongoing treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to universal availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the current most optimistic outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to increase availability, via measures like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so people eat less.
Individuals commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to people may see weight return within a year of stopping the medication, because their normal food cravings resume.
Being overweight or obese raises your chance for developing health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight concerns individuals in all nations and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
