Under one in 10 patients who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it issues its initial recommendations on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, over two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and lifelong support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to broad availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the present most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to expand access, by measures such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of a leading brand – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Operate
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
Patients typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the treatment, when their typical food cravings resume.
To be carrying excess weight raises your risk for experiencing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
