Fewer than a tenth of patients that would benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Per projections, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to broad availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the current most favorable scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to increase availability, through strategies including voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals typically start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests people may see weight return a year later of halting the treatment, as their usual hunger resume.
To be overweight or obese raises your risk for contracting diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
