Under one in 10 patients that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, states the World Health Organization as it releases its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and ongoing care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to widespread availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even under the current most favorable case, the manufacturing of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to increase access, via strategies including patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the treatment, because their normal appetite come back.
Being carrying excess weight raises your risk for experiencing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
