Fewer than a tenth of individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural advice on the medications.
Given over a billion people worldwide now obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to widespread availability to the jabs that can help people shift significant body mass, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the current most optimistic outlook, the production of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to widen availability, through approaches such as licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
People typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Research points to users may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the medication, because their usual appetite come back.
Being carrying excess weight raises your likelihood for experiencing health problems, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
