Under one in 10 people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial recommendations on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Per projections, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to universal access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the current most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to increase access, through strategies such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Work
These medications replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase satiety so people reduce food intake.
Patients commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies points to patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the treatment, as their typical food cravings return.
To be above a healthy weight raises your chance for experiencing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
