Less than one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it issues its inaugural advice on the therapies.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and lifelong support," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to universal access to the injections that can help people shift substantial weight, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the current best projected case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to increase availability, through measures like voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies points to patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the medication, when their usual appetite return.
To be carrying excess weight raises your chance for contracting diseases, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
