Under 10% of individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its first guidance on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and lifelong treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to widespread access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the present best projected case, the supply of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The advice encourages governments and firms to increase access, via approaches like voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and increase satiety so users consume fewer calories.
People usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence suggests patients may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the treatment, as their normal hunger come back.
Being above a healthy weight increases your risk for contracting diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in all nations and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
