Under a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it issues its initial guidance on the therapies.
With over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
Per projections, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and ongoing care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to widespread access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even under the present best projected outlook, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The advice urges countries and companies to expand availability, via measures like voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
The injections mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies indicates patients may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the drug, as their usual appetite come back.
To be above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for developing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
