Under a tenth of people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its initial advice on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to broad availability to the injections that can help people shift substantial body mass, says the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the current most favorable scenario, the supply of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The advice urges countries and companies to expand access, through measures such as patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
These medications mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
People commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies suggests users may see weight return within a year of halting the treatment, because their usual hunger resume.
Being carrying excess weight raises your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
