Less than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it releases its first recommendations on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and lifelong treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major barriers to widespread availability to the jabs that can help people shift significant body mass, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the present most optimistic outlook, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to widen access, through measures including voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so people eat less.
Individuals usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Research indicates people may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the medication, when their normal appetite come back.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your risk for contracting medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
