Less than 10% of patients that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the therapies.
Given more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and ongoing support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to widespread availability to the jabs that can help people shift considerable weight, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the present best projected case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to widen access, through approaches including voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Function
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the medication, because their normal hunger return.
Being overweight or obese increases your risk for developing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in every country and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
