Less than 10% of people that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy have access to them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial guidance on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and ongoing support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to widespread access to the treatments that can help people shift significant body mass, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the present most optimistic case, the production of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline urges countries and companies to expand access, by measures like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase satiety so users eat less.
People commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates users may regain a significant portion a year later of halting the drug, when their typical food cravings come back.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
