Less than one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it publishes its initial advice on the drugs.
Given over a billion people worldwide now obese, it is advocating for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and ongoing care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to universal access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even under the present best projected case, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The advice urges governments and firms to expand access, via strategies such as patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
The injections mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost satiety so users consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence suggests patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the drug, when their normal appetite resume.
Being overweight or obese elevates your risk for developing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight affects people in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
