Under one in 10 patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it releases its inaugural advice on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
According to forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and continuous support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to universal access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the current most optimistic scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to expand availability, via strategies including patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
People usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Studies suggests people may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the treatment, when their typical appetite come back.
To be overweight or obese raises your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
