Under a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its first recommendations on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and lifelong care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to universal availability to the treatments that can help people shift significant body mass, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the present most optimistic outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to expand access, through strategies like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
These medications mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to people may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the medication, as their normal food cravings resume.
Being overweight or obese increases your chance for contracting diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
