Under one in 10 people who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its first guidance on the therapies.
Given over a billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and continuous support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to broad access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even in the current best projected outlook, the production of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to widen access, through approaches such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the medication, when their typical appetite return.
Being above a healthy weight increases your chance for contracting medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
