Fewer than 10% of people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial recommendations on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to widespread availability to the treatments that can help people shift significant weight, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even under the current most optimistic case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline urges governments and firms to increase availability, by strategies such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Operate
The injections imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so people eat less.
People usually see weight reduction after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research points to users may see weight return within a year of stopping the treatment, when their usual appetite come back.
To be overweight or obese increases your risk for experiencing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity impacts people in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
