Less than a tenth of people who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its first advice on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Based on estimates, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and continuous treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to universal availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the current best projected scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to expand availability, through strategies including voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
These medications imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research indicates people may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the drug, as their normal appetite resume.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your risk for developing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in every country and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
