Fewer than 10% of people that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it releases its initial advice on the drugs.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
According to projections, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and lifelong support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to broad access to the jabs that can help people shift considerable weight, explains the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the current most favorable case, the supply of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to widen availability, through measures including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
People commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies indicates people may see weight return within a year of halting the drug, because their normal appetite come back.
To be above a healthy weight raises your risk for developing health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
