Fewer than 10% of people that would benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it publishes its initial advice on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and continuous care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to universal availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the current best projected case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to widen availability, by strategies like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
These medications imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so users eat less.
Individuals typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to users may see weight return within a year of halting the drug, as their typical appetite come back.
To be overweight or obese raises your likelihood for contracting diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
