Under one in 10 individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the therapies.
With over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and continuous support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to widespread availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even under the present best projected case, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to increase access, through approaches such as patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
The injections imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost satiety so users consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Studies suggests users may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the medication, as their usual hunger resume.
To be overweight or obese increases your risk for experiencing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in all nations and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
