Under 10% of people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it issues its initial guidance on the therapies.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Per forecasts, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and continuous support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key barriers to broad availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even in the present best projected scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The advice calls on governments and firms to widen access, through approaches such as licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
People commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to users may put most of the weight back on within a year of discontinuing the treatment, as their normal hunger resume.
Being above a healthy weight increases your risk for developing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
