Fewer than a tenth of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its initial guidance on the drugs.
With more than one billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with thorough and lifelong care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the present most favorable case, the production of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to increase access, through strategies such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
The injections imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.
People usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests people may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the medication, because their typical appetite resume.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your risk for experiencing diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in every country and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
