Fewer than 10% of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it issues its first advice on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and continuous care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to broad availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, explains the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even under the present most favorable case, the supply of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to widen access, via approaches such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of a leading brand – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
These medications replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and increase satiety so users consume fewer calories.
Patients usually see weight reduction after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research points to people may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the drug, when their usual appetite resume.
Being above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for experiencing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in every country and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
