Less than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it issues its inaugural advice on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to broad access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the present best projected outlook, the supply of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to widen access, through measures including licensing agreements.
A patent on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Function
These medications mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so individuals reduce food intake.
People commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests people may see weight return after a year of halting the drug, because their usual appetite resume.
Being carrying excess weight increases your chance for experiencing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
