Fewer than 10% of individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, over two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to widespread access to the treatments that can help people shift considerable body mass, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the present best projected outlook, the production of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to widen access, via approaches like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
People commonly see weight reduction after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence indicates patients may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the treatment, as their usual hunger resume.
Being carrying excess weight raises your likelihood for contracting diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
