Fewer than 10% of patients that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, states the World Health Organization as it releases its first advice on the drugs.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to estimates, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and ongoing care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to widespread access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, explains the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the present best projected scenario, the supply of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The advice urges nations and manufacturers to expand availability, by measures including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research indicates people may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the medication, when their normal appetite return.
To be overweight or obese elevates your risk for contracting diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity affects people in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
