Less than a tenth of people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural advice on the medications.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to broad access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the current most favorable case, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to widen availability, through measures such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Function
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost satiety so people consume fewer calories.
People typically begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the treatment, as their usual hunger resume.
Being overweight or obese raises your likelihood for developing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
