Under one in 10 people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it publishes its first recommendations on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to widespread access to the treatments that can help people shift considerable weight, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even under the present most favorable case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to increase availability, via approaches like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Function
The injections mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to users may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the treatment, when their typical food cravings resume.
To be overweight or obese increases your likelihood for developing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in every country and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
