Less than a tenth of individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, caution the World Health Organization as it releases its inaugural guidance on the medications.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, over two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to widespread availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the current most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to expand access, via measures including voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance satiety so users eat less.
Patients typically start to lose weight after several weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests patients may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the drug, because their typical appetite return.
Being carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for contracting health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
