The Global Health Body Raises Concern Over Critical Lack of Weight-Loss Medications
Fewer than 10% of individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and ongoing treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to widespread availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even in the current best projected outlook, the supply of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The advice calls on countries and companies to widen availability, via approaches including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so users eat less.
Patients usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Research points to users may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the treatment, because their usual appetite resume.
To be overweight or obese raises your risk for contracting medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
