Less than one in 10 people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, caution the World Health Organization as it releases its initial advice on the medications.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, over two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and lifelong treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are major barriers to widespread access to the treatments that can help people shift substantial weight, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even in the present most optimistic outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to expand availability, through approaches such as voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
People usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Evidence indicates people may see weight return within a year of stopping the treatment, because their normal appetite return.
To be carrying excess weight increases your chance for contracting health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in every country and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
