Fewer than a tenth of people that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and lifelong support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the present most optimistic case, the manufacturing of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The guideline urges countries and companies to widen access, through measures such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates people may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the treatment, because their usual appetite return.
To be carrying excess weight raises your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity affects people in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
