Under one in 10 individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
According to forecasts, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and continuous support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to widespread availability to the injections that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the present best projected outlook, the supply of these medications might only reach about 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to widen availability, through approaches including voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.
People usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies indicates users may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the drug, when their usual food cravings come back.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your risk for experiencing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
