Fewer than 10% of people that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it releases its first recommendations on the medications.
Given over a billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Based on forecasts, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and continuous support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to universal access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the present best projected case, the production of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The advice urges nations and manufacturers to increase access, by strategies including licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
The injections replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research points to people may see weight return a year later of halting the medication, because their typical appetite resume.
Being carrying excess weight increases your risk for experiencing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight affects people in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
