Less than 10% of individuals who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it releases its initial recommendations on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and continuous treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to universal availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the present most favorable outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The advice encourages governments and firms to expand access, through approaches like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the main component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Function
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so users reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to users may regain a significant portion after a year of discontinuing the drug, because their usual hunger come back.
Being above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
