Less than one in 10 individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it issues its first advice on the therapies.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and lifelong treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to widespread access to the treatments that can help people shift substantial body mass, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the current best projected case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The advice encourages governments and firms to expand access, through measures including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Function
These medications replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to people may see weight return within a year of halting the drug, because their typical food cravings resume.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for developing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
