Under 10% of people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and ongoing support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major barriers to universal access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the present most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The advice calls on governments and firms to expand access, via strategies including licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Work
These medications replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research points to users may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the drug, as their typical food cravings come back.
To be overweight or obese raises your chance for contracting medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
