Under a tenth of people that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it releases its inaugural guidance on the therapies.
With over a billion people worldwide now obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to estimates, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to widespread access to the treatments that can help people shift significant weight, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even in the present most optimistic scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The advice urges governments and firms to widen access, by measures such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the main component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
Individuals usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence indicates users may see weight return a year later of halting the drug, when their typical appetite resume.
To be overweight or obese increases your risk for experiencing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
