Fewer than one in 10 individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the global health agency as it publishes its first guidance on the medications.
With more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is calling for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and lifelong support," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to universal availability to the treatments that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the present most favorable case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to increase availability, by measures including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
People usually see weight reduction after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates people may regain a significant portion a year later of halting the treatment, when their normal hunger resume.
Being overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for contracting diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in every country and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
