Under 10% of patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it issues its first recommendations on the therapies.
With over a billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
According to forecasts, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to widespread availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, says the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the present most favorable case, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The advice urges countries and companies to expand access, via approaches including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance satiety so people reduce food intake.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence indicates users may see weight return a year later of halting the medication, when their usual food cravings return.
To be above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for developing medical conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
