Fewer than 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it publishes its initial advice on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and lifelong treatment," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to broad availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the present most favorable scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation urges nations and manufacturers to widen access, through strategies like voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so people reduce food intake.
Individuals typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies indicates users may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the treatment, when their usual food cravings return.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity affects people in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
