Fewer than a tenth of patients that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it publishes its initial recommendations on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and continuous support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even in the current most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to increase availability, through strategies including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates patients may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the medication, when their typical hunger come back.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for experiencing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in every country and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
