Under one in 10 patients who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on projections, over two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and ongoing care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to broad availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the current best projected case, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The guideline urges governments and firms to widen availability, through measures like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Work
The injections imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so users eat less.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to users may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the medication, when their normal hunger return.
To be above a healthy weight increases your risk for experiencing diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in all nations and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
