WHO Issues Warning Over Severe Lack of Weight-Loss Medications
Less than one in 10 people who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its first guidance on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to broad availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, says the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the present most optimistic outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to expand availability, via measures including voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
These medications mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests people may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the drug, when their normal hunger come back.
To be carrying excess weight raises your chance for developing diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity affects people in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
