Under one in 10 individuals who could benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it publishes its first advice on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous treatment," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key barriers to universal availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the present best projected case, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to increase availability, via approaches including voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so users eat less.
People typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests patients may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the medication, because their normal appetite come back.
To be above a healthy weight increases your risk for experiencing diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Excess weight affects people in every country and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
