Less than 10% of people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it releases its first recommendations on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide currently obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to widespread availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the present most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The advice encourages governments and firms to expand access, via strategies including patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Work
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
Individuals typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence points to people may regain a significant portion after a year of discontinuing the medication, because their usual appetite return.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your risk for developing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in all nations and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
