Fewer than one in 10 patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it issues its initial recommendations on the therapies.
Given more than one billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and ongoing care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are major barriers to widespread access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even in the present best projected case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to expand availability, by strategies like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Work
These medications replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness so individuals reduce food intake.
People typically start to lose weight after several weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Research indicates users may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the treatment, as their usual food cravings resume.
To be overweight or obese raises your risk for developing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
