Under 10% of people that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is calling for increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to broad availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even under the present best projected scenario, the supply of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The recommendation urges countries and companies to increase availability, via approaches like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
People usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research points to people may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the medication, as their normal appetite return.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for experiencing health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
