Under a tenth of people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it releases its initial recommendations on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and continuous treatment," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to universal access to the jabs that can help people shift considerable weight, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even in the current most favorable case, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The advice encourages governments and firms to increase availability, by measures such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the primary component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
Patients usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies points to users may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the medication, as their usual hunger come back.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for developing medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Excess weight concerns individuals in every country and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
