Under 10% of patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it releases its initial advice on the medications.
Given more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and lifelong support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to broad availability to the treatments that can help people shift significant weight, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the present most optimistic outlook, the supply of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The advice calls on countries and companies to widen access, via strategies like patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
The injections mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Research indicates users may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the drug, as their typical food cravings return.
Being overweight or obese increases your chance for experiencing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in every country and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
