Fewer than a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it issues its initial recommendations on the drugs.
Given over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Per forecasts, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and continuous treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to broad access to the injections that can help people shift substantial body mass, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the present most favorable case, the supply of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The advice encourages countries and companies to increase availability, by approaches such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Operate
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates users may see weight return within a year of halting the treatment, because their typical hunger come back.
To be overweight or obese raises your risk for experiencing diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
