Fewer than a tenth of people who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, caution the global health agency as it publishes its initial recommendations on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and lifelong treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to widespread access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, says the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even in the present best projected case, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to increase access, by strategies such as patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Function
These medications mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
People commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the drug, when their usual hunger resume.
Being overweight or obese elevates your risk for developing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
