Fewer than a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it issues its initial advice on the medications.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
Per projections, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to broad availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the present most optimistic scenario, the production of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to increase access, via measures like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Function
The injections replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Evidence points to people may see weight return a year later of halting the treatment, as their usual food cravings return.
Being carrying excess weight increases your chance for experiencing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
