Under one in 10 patients who could benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it issues its first guidance on the therapies.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to universal availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, explains the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the present most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation urges countries and companies to widen availability, via strategies such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so users eat less.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Studies indicates people may see weight return within a year of stopping the treatment, as their typical food cravings resume.
To be overweight or obese elevates your chance for contracting diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
