Less than 10% of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it releases its first recommendations on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and ongoing care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to widespread availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even in the present best projected case, the production of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The advice encourages governments and firms to increase access, via approaches including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
The injections imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost satiety so people consume fewer calories.
People commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to users may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the treatment, as their typical food cravings return.
Being overweight or obese increases your chance for contracting diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
