Less than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it issues its initial advice on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, over two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and continuous support," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to widespread access to the jabs that can help people shift significant weight, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the present best projected case, the supply of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to expand availability, through approaches like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
These medications replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research suggests patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of discontinuing the medication, because their usual hunger resume.
To be carrying excess weight raises your risk for contracting medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
