Less than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its initial guidance on the therapies.
With over a billion people worldwide now obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and lifelong care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to widespread access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the present best projected case, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to widen access, by strategies including voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Function
The injections mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests people may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the medication, when their typical food cravings return.
Being above a healthy weight raises your chance for contracting health problems, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity concerns people in every country and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
