Under a tenth of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it issues its first advice on the drugs.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
According to estimates, over two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to widespread availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the current most optimistic case, the production of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The recommendation urges countries and companies to increase access, through strategies such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Function
The injections imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so users eat less.
Patients typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research points to people may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the treatment, when their typical hunger come back.
To be above a healthy weight increases your chance for contracting medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects people in every country and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
