Less than 10% of people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it issues its first guidance on the drugs.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and ongoing support," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to universal availability to the treatments that can help people shift significant body mass, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the present most optimistic outlook, the production of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to expand access, by approaches including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core component of a leading brand – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Operate
The injections mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase satiety so users reduce food intake.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to patients may see weight return after a year of halting the medication, because their normal hunger come back.
To be overweight or obese increases your risk for contracting diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight affects people in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
