Under a tenth of people who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the medications.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to broad availability to the jabs that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even in the present most optimistic case, the production of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to widen availability, through measures like voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Work
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies suggests patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the medication, because their normal food cravings resume.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your chance for developing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in every country and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
