Fewer than one in 10 patients who could benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, caution the World Health Organization as it releases its initial recommendations on the medications.
Considering over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and ongoing support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to widespread availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the present best projected case, the manufacturing of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to widen availability, through strategies like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.
People usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence points to patients may regain a significant portion after a year of stopping the drug, when their usual appetite return.
Being carrying excess weight increases your risk for experiencing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in every country and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
