Fewer than a tenth of patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Based on estimates, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to universal access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the present best projected outlook, the production of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The advice encourages countries and companies to increase availability, through measures including patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so people eat less.
People usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates patients may see weight return after a year of halting the treatment, as their typical appetite return.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
