Less than a tenth of patients that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it releases its first guidance on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and continuous care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to widespread availability to the injections that can help people shift significant body mass, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the present most optimistic outlook, the production of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to widen availability, by strategies including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Function
These medications mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so users reduce food intake.
Individuals typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to users may see weight return after a year of stopping the drug, because their typical appetite return.
Being overweight or obese increases your likelihood for experiencing diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity concerns people in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
