Less than 10% of people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it issues its initial advice on the therapies.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and lifelong treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to broad access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the current most optimistic outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to expand access, by strategies like voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Function
The injections replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
People commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to patients may regain a significant portion after a year of stopping the treatment, when their normal appetite return.
To be above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for contracting health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
