Fewer than 10% of people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and ongoing support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to broad access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Despite the present most favorable case, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation urges countries and companies to widen availability, through approaches including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
These medications imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so users consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests people may see weight return a year later of halting the drug, when their normal food cravings come back.
To be above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
