Under 10% of individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural guidance on the medications.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to estimates, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and lifelong treatment," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to widespread access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even in the present best projected case, the supply of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The recommendation urges countries and companies to widen access, by measures including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates users may regain a significant portion after a year of stopping the medication, as their typical appetite return.
Being above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for developing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in every country and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
