Less than 10% of patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it publishes its first advice on the drugs.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to broad access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the current most favorable outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The recommendation urges countries and companies to widen availability, via measures including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Operate
These medications imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so users eat less.
Individuals typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research points to people may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the medication, as their usual food cravings resume.
To be above a healthy weight increases your risk for developing diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in every country and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
