Fewer than one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it issues its first recommendations on the drugs.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and lifelong care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to broad availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the present most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The advice calls on countries and companies to expand access, by strategies like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Individuals usually see weight reduction after several weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Research indicates people may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the medication, because their normal appetite return.
Being overweight or obese increases your chance for developing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
