Fewer than a tenth of people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its first recommendations on the therapies.
With over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and continuous treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to broad access to the injections that can help people shift substantial body mass, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the current best projected outlook, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to increase availability, through strategies like licensing agreements.
A patent on semaglutide – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Function
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence suggests users may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the treatment, because their normal hunger return.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for developing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
