Less than one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it releases its first advice on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and continuous treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to universal access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the current best projected scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to widen access, via measures including voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Function
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
People usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies points to patients may regain a significant portion after a year of stopping the medication, because their normal food cravings resume.
To be above a healthy weight increases your risk for contracting medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in all nations and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
