Fewer than a tenth of people who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its initial guidance on the medications.
With over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to widespread availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the present best projected scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to expand access, through measures including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost satiety so users eat less.
People typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research suggests people may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the treatment, when their typical hunger resume.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your chance for experiencing health problems, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
