Under one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it publishes its initial recommendations on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to widespread availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the present best projected case, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to expand availability, by approaches including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase satiety so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the treatment, as their typical hunger return.
To be overweight or obese raises your chance for contracting health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
