Fewer than 10% of patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it issues its initial recommendations on the therapies.
With over a billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and ongoing treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, says the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the present most favorable case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to expand availability, by approaches including patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Function
These medications mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
People usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research indicates people may regain a significant portion after a year of stopping the medication, as their normal appetite return.
To be carrying excess weight raises your chance for experiencing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity impacts people in every country and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
