Less than one in 10 people who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to broad availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the current most optimistic case, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to widen access, through approaches including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase satiety so individuals eat less.
Individuals typically start to lose weight after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Studies points to people may see weight return after a year of stopping the medication, when their typical hunger resume.
Being overweight or obese raises your likelihood for contracting diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity concerns people in every country and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
