Less than a tenth of individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural advice on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Per projections, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to broad availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the present most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to expand availability, through approaches including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Evidence indicates people may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the treatment, when their normal food cravings return.
To be overweight or obese increases your chance for contracting medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
