Less than one in 10 patients who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it issues its initial advice on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and continuous care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to universal availability to the jabs that can help people shift considerable body mass, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the current most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The advice urges nations and manufacturers to expand access, by measures like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so individuals reduce food intake.
People typically start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the treatment, because their normal hunger return.
To be overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
