Less than one in 10 individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it releases its first guidance on the therapies.
Given over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and ongoing support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to broad availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, says the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the present best projected scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to increase access, by measures including patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients usually see weight reduction after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research points to people may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the treatment, when their typical food cravings resume.
Being above a healthy weight raises your chance for contracting health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity affects people in every country and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
