Fewer than one in 10 people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it publishes its initial advice on the medications.
Given more than one billion people worldwide currently obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to universal availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the present most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to expand availability, through strategies like licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
These medications imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
People typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies suggests patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the treatment, when their normal hunger return.
Being carrying excess weight raises your risk for contracting diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
