Under a tenth of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it publishes its first advice on the medications.
Given more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is calling for increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
Per projections, over two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with thorough and lifelong care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key barriers to universal availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the current best projected case, 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 guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to expand availability, through strategies including voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the primary component of a leading brand – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
These medications imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance satiety so people eat less.
Individuals usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies points to people may regain a significant portion within a year of stopping the treatment, when their typical food cravings come back.
To be overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects people in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
