Under one in 10 individuals that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial advice on the medications.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major barriers to broad access to the injections that can help people shift substantial weight, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even under the current best projected case, the manufacturing of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The advice encourages countries and companies to widen availability, through strategies such as patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
The injections replicate a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
People typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research points to users may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the drug, because their normal hunger return.
To be overweight or obese raises your chance for experiencing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
