Fewer than 10% of patients that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, states the World Health Organization as it issues its first recommendations on the drugs.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and continuous care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to widespread access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the current most favorable scenario, the supply of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The advice encourages countries and companies to widen availability, via measures such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Function
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to people may see weight return after a year of halting the treatment, as their normal hunger return.
Being above a healthy weight raises your chance for experiencing health problems, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
