Under 10% of individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.
With over a billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, over two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and continuous support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to widespread access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the present best projected scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to widen availability, by approaches including patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase satiety so people reduce food intake.
Patients commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies points to people may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the drug, when their normal hunger resume.
To be above a healthy weight increases your chance for contracting medical conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
