Under a tenth of people that would benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it issues its inaugural advice on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to widespread availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even in the present best projected case, the production of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline urges governments and firms to expand access, by approaches like voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.
People usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence suggests people may regain a significant portion after a year of stopping the treatment, because their usual appetite return.
Being carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for experiencing health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in every country and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
