Under one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it issues its inaugural guidance on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to widespread availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even in the current most optimistic case, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to increase access, via strategies including patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
The injections mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.
People usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence indicates people may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the medication, when their usual appetite resume.
Being overweight or obese raises your chance for experiencing health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in every country and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
