Fewer than 10% of individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, states the World Health Organization as it releases its initial recommendations on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
According to projections, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and lifelong care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major barriers to broad availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the current most favorable case, the supply of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to widen availability, via approaches including voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
People typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research points to patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the medication, because their normal food cravings come back.
Being overweight or obese increases your chance for developing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
