Less than a tenth of people that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it releases its first guidance on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to widespread availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the current most favorable case, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to widen access, through measures like patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Work
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so individuals eat less.
People commonly see weight reduction after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence suggests patients may see weight return after a year of stopping the treatment, as their usual appetite return.
To be overweight or obese raises your chance for developing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
