Fewer than one in 10 people that would benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it publishes its initial advice on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and lifelong care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to universal availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the current most optimistic outlook, the production of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The advice urges countries and companies to increase access, via strategies such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Work
The injections imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals typically see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research suggests people may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the drug, because their usual food cravings come back.
Being above a healthy weight increases your chance for contracting medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
