Fewer than 10% of patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, states the World Health Organization as it releases its first guidance on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major barriers to universal availability to the injections that can help people shift significant body mass, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the current most favorable case, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The guideline urges countries and companies to widen access, via approaches like licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the core component of a leading brand – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so users eat less.
People usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates users may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the drug, as their normal food cravings return.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for experiencing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
