Under a tenth of individuals who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.
With over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant hurdles to broad availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the current most optimistic scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to widen access, via strategies such as patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so people eat less.
People commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research indicates users may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the medication, because their normal food cravings come back.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for contracting health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity impacts people in every country and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
