Fewer than 10% of individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it releases its first recommendations on the drugs.
With over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to broad availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even in the present best projected outlook, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The advice encourages countries and companies to expand availability, through measures such as patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
The injections replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so individuals eat less.
People commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research points to people may see weight return after a year of halting the drug, as their normal appetite return.
To be above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for experiencing health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight concerns individuals in all nations and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
