Fewer than one in 10 people that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it issues its inaugural advice on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
According to estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and lifelong care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to widespread availability to the treatments that can help people shift significant body mass, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the present best projected case, the manufacturing of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to expand availability, via approaches like licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Work
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost satiety so users reduce food intake.
Patients commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests people may see weight return after a year of stopping the medication, because their normal hunger come back.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your risk for developing diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
