Less than 10% of individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and lifelong care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to universal access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the present best projected outlook, the supply of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to increase access, by strategies including patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so users reduce food intake.
People commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates people may see weight return a year later of stopping the medication, when their usual hunger come back.
Being above a healthy weight increases your risk for experiencing medical conditions, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
