Under 10% of individuals who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it issues its initial recommendations on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, over two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to universal access to the injections that can help people shift substantial body mass, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the present most optimistic outlook, the supply of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to widen access, by measures like voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.
People commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates people may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the drug, when their usual appetite resume.
To be carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for developing health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
