Under a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it releases its initial guidance on the medications.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to universal access to the jabs that can help people shift significant body mass, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the present best projected case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to increase availability, via approaches such as licensing agreements.
A patent on semaglutide – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Function
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase satiety so users consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates users may regain a significant portion after a year of stopping the drug, when their normal appetite come back.
To be carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for experiencing diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in every country and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
