Less than 10% of people who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to universal availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the present most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The advice urges governments and firms to widen access, through measures like licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so users reduce food intake.
People usually see weight reduction after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests people may regain a significant portion within a year of stopping the drug, as their typical appetite return.
Being above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in every country and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
