Under 10% of people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and continuous treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to universal access to the jabs that can help people shift significant weight, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the current best projected case, the supply of these medications might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The recommendation urges countries and companies to expand access, through approaches like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
These medications replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence points to patients may see weight return within a year of halting the drug, as their usual appetite resume.
Being above a healthy weight raises your chance for experiencing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
