Less than one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it issues its first advice on the therapies.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to universal availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the present most favorable outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The advice urges countries and companies to expand access, through measures such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
The injections mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance satiety so people consume fewer calories.
People typically start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests patients may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the medication, because their usual appetite come back.
Being overweight or obese elevates your risk for experiencing health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
