Under 10% of individuals who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it releases its initial guidance on the medications.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and continuous treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to universal availability to the jabs that can help people shift substantial weight, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the present best projected scenario, the production of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The advice urges nations and manufacturers to expand access, via approaches such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence points to people may see weight return a year later of stopping the medication, because their typical food cravings resume.
Being overweight or obese increases your chance for developing medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
