Less than a tenth of people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural advice on the drugs.
Given over a billion people worldwide now obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to widespread availability to the injections that can help people shift significant weight, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even under the present most optimistic case, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to widen access, by approaches such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of a leading brand – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so users reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies suggests people may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the treatment, as their usual food cravings come back.
To be above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight affects people in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
