Fewer than one in 10 patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it releases its initial advice on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major barriers to universal availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the current most favorable outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to expand availability, by strategies like licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so users reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the treatment, when their usual food cravings resume.
To be above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
