Under a tenth of people that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, states the World Health Organization as it issues its initial guidance on the medications.
With over a billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Per forecasts, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and ongoing support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to universal availability to the jabs that can help people shift substantial body mass, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even under the present most favorable case, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to increase availability, by strategies including licensing agreements.
A patent on semaglutide – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence points to patients may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the treatment, as their typical appetite resume.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your chance for developing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
