Under 10% of patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it publishes its first advice on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to broad availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the current best projected case, the production of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The advice encourages countries and companies to increase availability, by approaches like licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
These medications replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
People typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Studies indicates patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the treatment, when their normal appetite come back.
To be overweight or obese elevates your chance for contracting medical conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in all nations and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
