Under one in 10 patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its first recommendations on the medications.
With over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and lifelong treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to universal availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even under the present best projected outlook, the supply of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The guideline urges countries and companies to widen access, through approaches such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.
People usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the drug, when their usual food cravings return.
To be overweight or obese increases your risk for developing diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
