Fewer than a tenth of people that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, caution the global health agency as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
According to forecasts, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to universal access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the current best projected scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to increase availability, via strategies such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
The injections imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost satiety so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests users may regain a significant portion a year later of halting the medication, when their normal food cravings return.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for contracting diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Excess weight concerns individuals in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
