Fewer than one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it releases its first guidance on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to universal access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the current most favorable scenario, the supply of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation urges nations and manufacturers to expand availability, via strategies such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
People commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research indicates users may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the medication, as their typical appetite return.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your risk for experiencing health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
