Under one in 10 individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it issues its initial recommendations on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to broad availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the present most optimistic scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to increase access, via strategies such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so users reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies points to people may regain a significant portion within a year of stopping the drug, because their usual hunger come back.
Being carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for developing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
