Less than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its first guidance on the therapies.
With over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and continuous care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to broad access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the current best projected scenario, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to expand availability, through approaches like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
The injections imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost satiety so users reduce food intake.
Patients typically start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies points to people may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the drug, because their normal appetite return.
To be above a healthy weight increases your risk for experiencing medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in all nations and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
