Fewer than 10% of people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its initial guidance on the drugs.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and lifelong support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the current most favorable case, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to expand availability, by approaches including patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so users reduce food intake.
People commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence indicates people may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the drug, as their normal food cravings return.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your chance for experiencing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
