Less than a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it issues its initial guidance on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and ongoing care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to widespread availability to the injections that can help people shift substantial body mass, explains the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even in the present most optimistic case, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to widen availability, through measures including patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the main component of a leading brand – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Function
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals typically start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies points to people may regain a significant portion after a year of stopping the medication, because their typical food cravings return.
To be above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for developing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
