Under 10% of people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it publishes its first recommendations on the drugs.
With over a billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to widespread availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the current most optimistic case, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to expand availability, by strategies like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase satiety so people reduce food intake.
Individuals usually see weight reduction after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence points to patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the medication, because their typical appetite come back.
Being overweight or obese raises your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in every country and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
