Under 10% of people who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it releases its initial guidance on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can help people shift substantial weight, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the present best projected outlook, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The advice calls on countries and companies to widen access, via measures including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so users eat less.
Patients usually start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence points to people may regain a significant portion within a year of stopping the drug, as their usual appetite return.
Being overweight or obese raises your chance for experiencing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
