Fewer than a tenth of individuals who could benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it publishes its first guidance on the therapies.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to universal availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the present most favorable scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The advice calls on countries and companies to expand access, via approaches including licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Operate
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so users consume fewer calories.
People usually start to lose weight after several weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests users may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the drug, as their usual appetite come back.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for contracting diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity concerns people in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
