Under one in 10 people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it releases its inaugural guidance on the therapies.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and continuous treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to broad access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the present most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to increase availability, via measures including patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Operate
These medications imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so users eat less.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates users may see weight return within a year of halting the medication, as their typical appetite return.
To be above a healthy weight increases your risk for experiencing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
