Less than one in 10 people who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
According to projections, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to widespread access to the treatments that can help people shift considerable weight, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the current most favorable outlook, the supply of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The advice encourages countries and companies to expand access, via strategies including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
Individuals typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests users may see weight return within a year of stopping the treatment, because their typical appetite come back.
To be carrying excess weight increases your chance for developing health problems, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
