Less than one in 10 individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural advice on the therapies.
Considering over a billion people worldwide now obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Per forecasts, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing care," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to universal availability to the injections that can help people shift substantial body mass, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the present most favorable case, the production of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The guideline urges governments and firms to widen availability, via strategies like patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Work
The injections replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and enhance satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence indicates patients may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the treatment, because their normal food cravings return.
To be carrying excess weight raises your risk for contracting health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity concerns people in all nations and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
