Under a tenth of people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it issues its first recommendations on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and continuous treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to universal availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even in the present most optimistic outlook, the production of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The recommendation urges countries and companies to increase access, through measures like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Work
These medications replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so people eat less.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Studies suggests people may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the drug, when their normal food cravings return.
Being overweight or obese increases your chance for developing medical conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
