Under one in 10 people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its first recommendations on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to broad availability to the jabs that can help people shift substantial body mass, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the present most favorable scenario, the production of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to expand access, through measures including licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Operate
The injections mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness so individuals reduce food intake.
People commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence suggests users may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the medication, when their typical food cravings come back.
Being carrying excess weight increases your chance for developing health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
