Under 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its initial guidance on the medications.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to widespread availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Despite the current most optimistic outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The advice encourages governments and firms to expand availability, through strategies like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase satiety so people reduce food intake.
People usually see weight reduction after several weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests patients may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the drug, when their usual appetite resume.
To be overweight or obese raises your chance for contracting medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in every country and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
