Fewer than 10% of people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its first recommendations on the therapies.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to widespread access to the treatments that can help people shift considerable weight, explains the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Despite the present most optimistic scenario, the production of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to expand access, by measures like patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the core component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests users may see weight return a year later of stopping the treatment, as their typical appetite resume.
To be overweight or obese elevates your risk for experiencing health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
