Under a tenth of individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it issues its first guidance on the drugs.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and lifelong treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to widespread access to the jabs that can help people shift significant weight, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the present most optimistic scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to increase availability, through strategies including voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to people may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the treatment, because their typical hunger come back.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for developing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in every country and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
