Under 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its initial guidance on the drugs.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and continuous support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to widespread availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Despite the present most favorable case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to expand availability, by approaches such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
People usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to people may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the treatment, as their typical appetite return.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your chance for experiencing diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
