Less than a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
With over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to universal availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even under the present most favorable outlook, the production of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to expand access, via measures including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of a leading brand – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so people eat less.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to people may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the drug, because their normal hunger resume.
Being overweight or obese increases your risk for contracting medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
