Fewer than one in 10 people who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it issues its first guidance on the therapies.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and continuous care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to broad access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the current most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to expand access, via measures such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Function
The injections replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase satiety so users eat less.
Patients commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research suggests patients may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the medication, as their normal hunger come back.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for experiencing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in all nations and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
