Less than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its first recommendations on the therapies.
Given over a billion people worldwide now obese, it is urging increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to universal availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the current best projected case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The advice urges countries and companies to expand access, through approaches including patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost satiety so users eat less.
People usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research indicates users may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the treatment, as their normal hunger return.
Being overweight or obese raises your chance for experiencing diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity impacts people in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
