Fewer than 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its initial guidance on the therapies.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and ongoing care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to universal availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the present most favorable outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to increase access, by measures including licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Individuals usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence indicates people may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the medication, when their typical hunger resume.
To be overweight or obese raises your likelihood for experiencing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
