Fewer than a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its first recommendations on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to broad availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the current best projected scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The recommendation urges countries and companies to widen access, through strategies like patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
These medications imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.
People typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research points to people may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the treatment, when their typical appetite resume.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your risk for contracting diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity affects people in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
