Less than 10% of patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it releases its initial recommendations on the drugs.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and continuous support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to broad availability to the treatments that can help people shift substantial body mass, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the present most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to expand availability, via measures like patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Function
The injections mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies suggests users may see weight return a year later of stopping the medication, as their usual hunger come back.
Being overweight or obese raises your risk for experiencing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in every country and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
