Fewer than 10% of people that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its first advice on the medications.
With over a billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to widespread availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the present most optimistic case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to widen access, via measures including licensing agreements.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
People typically see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies points to users may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the drug, when their typical hunger return.
Being above a healthy weight raises your chance for contracting health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
