Less than one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it issues its first guidance on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with thorough and lifelong support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to widespread availability to the treatments that can help people shift significant weight, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the current best projected scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to increase access, through strategies such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
These medications replicate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance satiety so users eat less.
Patients typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to patients may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the treatment, because their typical appetite come back.
To be carrying excess weight increases your risk for developing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
