Fewer than one in 10 individuals that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it releases its first advice on the medications.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to widespread access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the current most favorable outlook, the production of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The advice urges nations and manufacturers to increase access, through approaches including licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the main component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence suggests people may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the drug, as their usual appetite come back.
Being carrying excess weight raises your chance for experiencing health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in every country and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
