Less than a tenth of patients who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it publishes its initial advice on the medications.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is urging increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and continuous treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to widespread access to the injections that can help people shift significant body mass, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the present most optimistic case, the production of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The advice calls on countries and companies to widen availability, by measures like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
These medications replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance satiety so users eat less.
People typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research points to users may regain a significant portion within a year of stopping the treatment, as their typical appetite return.
Being carrying excess weight raises your risk for developing diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
