Fewer than a tenth of individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its initial advice on the medications.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and ongoing support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to broad access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even under the current most favorable case, the production of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to widen availability, through measures including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence points to users may see weight return a year later of stopping the treatment, because their normal hunger resume.
Being carrying excess weight raises your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in every country and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
