Under 10% of individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its first recommendations on the medications.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to universal access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the current most optimistic scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The advice calls on governments and firms to increase access, through measures such as patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Operate
These medications imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research indicates patients may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the medication, when their typical hunger return.
Being overweight or obese elevates your risk for experiencing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
