Under 10% of individuals that would benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it issues its first guidance on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and ongoing care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to universal availability to the treatments that can help people shift substantial weight, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the present most optimistic outlook, the manufacturing of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to expand availability, via approaches such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies points to patients may see weight return a year later of halting the treatment, when their normal appetite come back.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your risk for developing health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
