Under 10% of individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it issues its initial advice on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and continuous treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to universal access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the present most favorable case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation urges nations and manufacturers to increase access, through strategies such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Operate
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
Individuals typically see weight reduction in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence points to users may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the drug, because their typical hunger return.
Being above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for developing medical conditions, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
