Under 10% of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.
Given over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and continuous support," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to widespread access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the present most optimistic outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to increase availability, through strategies such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Operate
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies suggests patients may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the drug, as their typical hunger resume.
To be overweight or obese increases your likelihood for experiencing health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity concerns people in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
