Less than a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its initial advice on the drugs.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and lifelong support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to broad availability to the jabs that can help people shift significant body mass, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the current most favorable scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The guideline urges governments and firms to widen availability, by strategies like patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
People typically see weight reduction in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Research points to users may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the medication, because their typical appetite return.
Being overweight or obese raises your chance for developing diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
