Fewer than one in 10 individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it publishes its first recommendations on the drugs.
With over a billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and continuous treatment," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to widespread availability to the jabs that can help people shift substantial body mass, explains the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the present best projected outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The advice calls on countries and companies to increase access, by measures such as patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Work
These medications imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Evidence points to patients may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the medication, because their normal appetite come back.
To be carrying excess weight raises your likelihood for developing medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
