Less than a tenth of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it issues its first advice on the therapies.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and lifelong treatment," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to broad availability to the injections that can help people shift substantial body mass, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even in the present best projected scenario, the supply of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to increase availability, by strategies including licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Work
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
People commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates people may see weight return after a year of halting the medication, as their typical food cravings resume.
To be above a healthy weight increases your risk for contracting medical conditions, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in countries worldwide and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
