Fewer than one in 10 individuals that would benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural advice on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and ongoing support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant hurdles to universal availability to the injections that can help people shift significant body mass, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the current most optimistic case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The advice calls on countries and companies to increase availability, through approaches such as patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Operate
These medications imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.
People commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies points to people may regain a significant portion after a year of discontinuing the medication, when their usual hunger return.
Being carrying excess weight raises your risk for experiencing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in all nations and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
