Under a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it releases its initial guidance on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidelines affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to broad availability to the jabs that can help people shift substantial weight, explains the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even in the present most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The advice urges nations and manufacturers to expand access, via measures such as patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance satiety so users eat less.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests users may see weight return a year later of stopping the medication, when their usual hunger return.
To be carrying excess weight raises your risk for experiencing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
