Fewer than a tenth of people who could benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on projections, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to broad availability to the injections that can help people shift substantial weight, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the present most favorable scenario, the supply of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The advice urges countries and companies to increase access, via approaches such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so users consume fewer calories.
People typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Studies suggests patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the medication, because their typical hunger resume.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your chance for contracting medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in every country and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
