Fewer than a tenth of individuals that would benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it issues its initial recommendations on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently obese, it is urging increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and lifelong care," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to universal access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the present most favorable scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to expand access, by measures such as patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research suggests patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the treatment, when their normal food cravings come back.
Being overweight or obese raises your risk for developing medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight affects people in all nations and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
