Less than one in 10 people that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural advice on the therapies.
Given more than one billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, over two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to broad availability to the injections that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the present best projected case, the production of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The advice calls on countries and companies to widen access, through approaches like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
People usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research indicates people may put most of the weight back on within a year of discontinuing the medication, as their usual food cravings come back.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your risk for experiencing diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
