Less than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and continuous care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key barriers to broad availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the current most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to widen access, through strategies including licensing agreements.
A patent on semaglutide – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Operate
The injections imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Individuals typically see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies indicates patients may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the medication, as their normal food cravings come back.
To be carrying excess weight raises your chance for experiencing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
