Under 10% of people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it releases its initial guidance on the therapies.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to broad access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the current most optimistic outlook, the supply of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to increase access, by measures including patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Function
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so people eat less.
Patients commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates people may see weight return a year later of halting the treatment, as their usual food cravings come back.
To be overweight or obese raises your chance for developing health problems, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
