Fewer than a tenth of people who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it releases its first recommendations on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, over two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to universal access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even in the current best projected outlook, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to increase availability, through approaches such as licensing agreements.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs replicate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so users consume fewer calories.
Patients typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Studies suggests people may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the medication, when their usual appetite come back.
Being above a healthy weight raises your risk for contracting health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity affects people in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
