Less than a tenth of patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it releases its initial recommendations on the medications.
Considering over a billion people worldwide now obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Per projections, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with thorough and continuous care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to widespread availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the current most favorable outlook, the production of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The recommendation urges countries and companies to widen availability, through strategies such as patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Function
The injections replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies points to people may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the drug, as their usual hunger return.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for contracting health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
