Less than a tenth of people who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it publishes its first guidance on the therapies.
With more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
Per projections, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous treatment," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to widespread availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the current most optimistic outlook, the production of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline urges governments and firms to increase availability, via strategies such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Function
These medications replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so users consume fewer calories.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates users may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the medication, as their usual appetite return.
To be above a healthy weight increases your chance for experiencing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in every country and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
