Less than 10% of people who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its initial recommendations on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to universal access to the injections that can help people shift significant weight, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even in the present best projected scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to expand access, through measures including voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Work
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research suggests users may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the medication, when their normal food cravings resume.
To be above a healthy weight raises your risk for experiencing diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
