Fewer than one in 10 individuals that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, caution the World Health Organization as it releases its inaugural advice on the drugs.
Considering over a billion people worldwide now obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to widespread availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the present most optimistic outlook, the production of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The advice calls on governments and firms to increase access, via strategies including licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so users reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research suggests patients may see weight return after a year of stopping the treatment, because their usual appetite return.
Being above a healthy weight raises your chance for contracting health problems, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity affects people in all nations and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
