Under a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it issues its inaugural advice on the therapies.
Given over a billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to broad access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the current most favorable scenario, the supply of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The advice encourages governments and firms to expand availability, through approaches including voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.
People commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies indicates patients may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the drug, when their typical food cravings return.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for contracting diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
