Under one in 10 individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial advice on the medications.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and ongoing care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to widespread availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the present most optimistic outlook, the supply of these medications might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to expand access, by approaches such as licensing agreements.
A patent on semaglutide – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so individuals eat less.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests people may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the drug, when their normal appetite return.
To be above a healthy weight increases your chance for contracting diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
