Under 10% of patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it publishes its first advice on the therapies.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to broad availability to the treatments that can help people shift considerable weight, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the present most favorable scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to expand access, through strategies such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Operate
The injections imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients typically start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research points to users may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the treatment, as their typical appetite return.
Being carrying excess weight raises your likelihood for developing health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
