Under one in 10 individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it releases its initial advice on the therapies.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to broad access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the present most optimistic scenario, the production of these medications might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to widen availability, through measures including voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Research indicates users may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the drug, because their usual appetite come back.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your chance for experiencing health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight affects people in every country and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
