Fewer than 10% of people that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy can access them, states the World Health Organization as it issues its first guidance on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and continuous support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to broad access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the current most favorable case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to increase availability, by measures including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so people eat less.
People commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to patients may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the medication, as their typical appetite resume.
To be carrying excess weight increases your risk for developing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
