Fewer than a tenth of people that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural advice on the drugs.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to universal access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even in the present most optimistic scenario, the production of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to increase access, by approaches like licensing agreements.
A patent on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Work
The injections imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
People usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Research suggests people may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the drug, because their normal appetite come back.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for developing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
