Less than a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it releases its inaugural advice on the therapies.
Considering over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, over two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and lifelong support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to broad access to the jabs that can help people shift significant weight, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the present most favorable outlook, the production of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to expand availability, through measures like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
These medications mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
Individuals typically start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research points to users may see weight return a year later of halting the treatment, when their typical hunger come back.
To be above a healthy weight increases your risk for contracting diseases, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight concerns individuals in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
