Under 10% of individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial recommendations on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on projections, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with thorough and ongoing support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to universal availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the present most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The recommendation urges nations and manufacturers to increase access, by strategies like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and enhance satiety so people consume fewer calories.
People typically see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research indicates patients may regain a significant portion within a year of stopping the treatment, because their normal food cravings return.
Being carrying excess weight raises your chance for contracting health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
