Fewer than one in 10 people that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, caution the World Health Organization as it releases its initial recommendations on the therapies.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, 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 chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing care," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to universal access to the treatments that can help people shift significant weight, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the present most optimistic outlook, the production of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to widen access, through strategies including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and increase satiety so users reduce food intake.
Individuals usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Evidence points to patients may regain a significant portion within a year of stopping the treatment, because their normal appetite resume.
To be overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for contracting health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
