Less than one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it releases its initial guidance on the medications.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and lifelong care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to universal access to the injections that can help people shift substantial body mass, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the present best projected case, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to increase availability, via measures including licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Work
These medications replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so people eat less.
Patients typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence points to people may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the drug, when their normal appetite return.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your chance for contracting diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in all nations and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
