Fewer than 10% of people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, over two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and continuous treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to widespread access to the treatments that can help people shift substantial body mass, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the current best projected scenario, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to expand access, through approaches like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
These medications mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates users may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the drug, when their typical food cravings resume.
To be overweight or obese elevates your chance for contracting diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects people in all nations and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
