Fewer than 10% of patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it publishes its first guidance on the medications.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, over two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and ongoing support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to broad access 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 scenario, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to expand availability, by approaches including voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies indicates users may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the treatment, when their usual hunger come back.
Being carrying excess weight raises your chance for contracting medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
