Fewer than one in 10 patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it issues its first recommendations on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and ongoing care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are significant obstacles to broad availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the present most optimistic case, the production of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to widen access, through strategies including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
These medications mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase satiety so users consume fewer calories.
People usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests users may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the drug, because their typical appetite come back.
Being above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for experiencing health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
