Less than 10% of people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it publishes its initial guidance on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to universal availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even under the current best projected scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to expand availability, through approaches like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so people eat less.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies points to people may regain a significant portion after a year of stopping the drug, when their typical food cravings return.
To be overweight or obese increases your likelihood for contracting health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
