Under one in 10 patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
With over a billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and lifelong support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to broad availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the current best projected outlook, the supply of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to increase availability, by approaches such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
People usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Evidence points to users may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the medication, as their typical hunger return.
Being above a healthy weight raises your chance for contracting health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity concerns people in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
