Less than 10% of people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its first recommendations on the medications.
With over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant hurdles to widespread access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Despite the current most favorable outlook, the production of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to expand access, via strategies such as patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the main component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Function
These medications mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost satiety so people reduce food intake.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Research suggests people may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the medication, because their normal appetite return.
To be above a healthy weight increases your risk for experiencing diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight concerns individuals in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
