Fewer than one in 10 individuals that would benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it issues its first advice on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on projections, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and continuous support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant obstacles to widespread availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even under the current most optimistic scenario, the production of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The guideline urges governments and firms to increase availability, via approaches like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research suggests people may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the medication, as their typical appetite come back.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your chance for developing health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight concerns individuals in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
