Under a tenth of people who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it publishes its first guidance on the therapies.
Given over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, over two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to universal availability to the treatments that can help people shift considerable weight, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even in the present most optimistic case, the supply of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to increase access, via approaches like voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
These medications mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase satiety so users consume fewer calories.
People usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence suggests users may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the drug, because their normal hunger come back.
Being carrying excess weight increases your chance for experiencing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
