Less than one in 10 individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and ongoing treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to universal access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the current best projected outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to widen access, via measures such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies indicates users may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the treatment, because their normal food cravings come back.
To be above a healthy weight increases your risk for developing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
