Less than one in 10 patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it publishes its first recommendations on the drugs.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and ongoing treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to broad access to the treatments that can help people shift substantial body mass, says the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the current most optimistic case, the production of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to expand access, by approaches including licensing agreements.
A patent on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
People usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research indicates patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the treatment, when their usual appetite resume.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your risk for experiencing diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity impacts people in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
