Fewer than one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it issues its inaugural advice on the medications.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to broad availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even in the present best projected outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to expand availability, via strategies like voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research suggests users may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the treatment, as their typical appetite return.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your risk for experiencing health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects people in all nations and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
