Under a tenth of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it issues its first guidance on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, over two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to universal availability to the injections that can help people shift considerable body mass, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even in the current most favorable case, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to widen availability, via approaches including voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
These medications imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost satiety so people consume fewer calories.
People commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research indicates people may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the medication, because their normal appetite resume.
To be above a healthy weight raises your chance for contracting diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity affects people in every country and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
