Fewer than a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it releases its initial guidance on the medications.
With over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Per projections, over two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and continuous treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to universal access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the present best projected scenario, the supply of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to widen availability, through approaches including patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Operate
These medications replicate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost satiety so users eat less.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Research suggests patients may see weight return within a year of halting the drug, because their typical food cravings return.
Being carrying excess weight raises your likelihood for experiencing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
