Under a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it issues its first advice on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to universal availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the current best projected outlook, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to widen availability, via strategies such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
People commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research indicates people may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the treatment, when their usual food cravings come back.
Being carrying excess weight raises your risk for experiencing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
