Fewer than one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its initial recommendations on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and continuous support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to broad availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the current most optimistic scenario, the production of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The advice urges nations and manufacturers to increase availability, via strategies including patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the main component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost satiety so people eat less.
Patients commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence points to users may see weight return after a year of halting the medication, when their normal food cravings come back.
Being carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for experiencing health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
