Fewer than 10% of people who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and lifelong care," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to universal availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even in the present most favorable case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The advice calls on countries and companies to widen availability, through approaches like voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates people may see weight return a year later of halting the medication, when their usual hunger resume.
Being overweight or obese raises your risk for experiencing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
