Fewer than one in 10 individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it releases its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
With over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the current most favorable case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to increase availability, by strategies like voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates users may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the medication, as their usual appetite come back.
Being carrying excess weight increases your risk for experiencing health problems, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
