Less than 10% of patients who could benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the therapies.
With over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and ongoing care," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to broad availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the current best projected outlook, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation urges nations and manufacturers to increase access, through strategies like patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
These medications imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.
People commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests people may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the medication, when their normal hunger come back.
To be carrying excess weight raises your risk for developing medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
