Less than a tenth of individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.
With over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and ongoing care," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant hurdles to universal availability to the treatments that can help people shift significant body mass, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even in the current best projected scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to expand availability, via approaches including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Work
These medications replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so people reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Evidence points to people may see weight return within a year of halting the medication, as their normal food cravings come back.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your chance for contracting health problems, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in every country and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
