Less than a tenth of people that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it releases its first guidance on the drugs.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and continuous care," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to widespread availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the current best projected outlook, the production of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to increase access, through strategies like patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
Patients usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies indicates patients may see weight return a year later of halting the medication, because their usual hunger come back.
Being overweight or obese elevates your chance for contracting health problems, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity affects people in every country and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
