Less than a tenth of individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its first guidance on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with thorough and ongoing support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to widespread availability to the treatments that can help people shift substantial weight, explains the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the current best projected outlook, the supply of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The advice calls on countries and companies to widen availability, via approaches like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so users reduce food intake.
Patients usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research points to patients may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the treatment, because their typical food cravings return.
To be overweight or obese elevates your chance for experiencing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
