Under one in 10 individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it publishes its first guidance on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to broad access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the present best projected case, the production of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to widen availability, by approaches like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
People usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research suggests users may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the treatment, because their normal appetite resume.
Being overweight or obese increases your risk for contracting health problems, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
