Less than 10% of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it publishes its initial advice on the medications.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and lifelong support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to universal access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the present most optimistic case, the production of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to expand availability, via approaches including licensing agreements.
A patent on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Function
These medications replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research suggests users may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the drug, when their normal hunger return.
To be above a healthy weight raises your chance for experiencing diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
