Less than 10% of people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its first recommendations on the drugs.
With over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and continuous treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key barriers to universal availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the current most favorable case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to widen availability, through measures including licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Operate
The injections imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Individuals usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests users may see weight return after a year of halting the medication, as their usual hunger come back.
To be above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for contracting health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in all nations and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
