Less than 10% of people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently obese, it is urging increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and continuous support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant hurdles to universal access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the current most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to widen availability, through strategies including voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies suggests patients may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the drug, when their usual hunger come back.
To be overweight or obese increases your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
