Less than a tenth of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it releases its first guidance on the medications.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the present most optimistic outlook, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The advice calls on governments and firms to increase availability, by approaches including licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
The injections mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the medication, when their normal food cravings resume.
Being carrying excess weight increases your risk for experiencing health problems, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
