Less than 10% of individuals that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it issues its first advice on the therapies.
Given more than one billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and continuous care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to widespread access to the injections that can help people shift significant weight, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the current most favorable outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline urges governments and firms to increase access, by approaches including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase satiety so people consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies suggests patients may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the treatment, because their normal appetite come back.
Being overweight or obese increases your risk for developing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
