Fewer than one in 10 people that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its initial advice on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and lifelong treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to universal access to the jabs that can help people shift considerable body mass, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the current most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to widen availability, through measures like patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies points to people may see weight return after a year of halting the medication, because their usual food cravings resume.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your risk for experiencing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
