Fewer than one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, states the World Health Organization as it releases its initial advice on the drugs.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, over two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and continuous support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to universal access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the present most favorable case, the production of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The advice encourages countries and companies to widen access, through strategies like licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Function
These medications replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost satiety so people reduce food intake.
Patients typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests patients may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the drug, as their usual hunger come back.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for developing diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
