Under one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its initial recommendations on the therapies.
With over a billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and continuous care," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to widespread access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the current most optimistic scenario, the production of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to widen availability, via approaches such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
These medications replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
People commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests users may regain a significant portion within a year of stopping the medication, when their usual hunger come back.
Being above a healthy weight increases your chance for developing medical conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
