Fewer than 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it issues its inaugural guidance on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to widespread access to the treatments that can help people shift substantial body mass, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the current most favorable scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The advice urges countries and companies to expand availability, via approaches including voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
These medications imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies points to users may see weight return after a year of halting the treatment, when their usual appetite return.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your risk for contracting diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in every country and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
