Fewer than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it issues its first guidance on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong treatment," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to broad availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the current best projected scenario, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The advice urges countries and companies to expand access, by strategies like voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
The injections mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence points to patients may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the drug, when their typical food cravings resume.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for developing medical conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity affects people in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
