Under 10% of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it publishes its first recommendations on the medications.
With over a billion people worldwide now obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and ongoing support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to universal access to the injections that can help people shift considerable weight, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the present most favorable scenario, the production of these medications might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to increase access, by strategies including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
These medications replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase satiety so people eat less.
Patients typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates people may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the drug, when their usual appetite resume.
To be overweight or obese raises your risk for developing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
