Less than one in 10 people that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it publishes its first advice on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and continuous care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to universal access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the current best projected scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to widen access, via strategies including patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Work
These medications replicate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Research indicates people may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the medication, because their usual food cravings return.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your chance for contracting medical conditions, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
