Less than one in 10 individuals who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Based on estimates, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key barriers to broad availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the present most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to increase availability, via approaches like patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance satiety so individuals eat less.
Patients usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates people may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the medication, as their typical hunger come back.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your risk for developing health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
