Fewer than a tenth of people that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it releases its initial guidance on the therapies.
Considering over a billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with thorough and lifelong treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to broad availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the current best projected outlook, the supply of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline urges governments and firms to increase availability, via strategies like patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
These medications imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
People commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests users may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the treatment, when their normal food cravings return.
Being overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for contracting health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
