Less than a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural advice on the medications.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Per projections, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong support," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can help people shift significant body mass, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the present most favorable case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to increase availability, via strategies including licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase satiety so users eat less.
Individuals typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Studies suggests patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the medication, because their usual hunger resume.
To be above a healthy weight increases your risk for experiencing health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
