Less than 10% of individuals who could benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural advice on the drugs.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant hurdles to widespread access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the current best projected outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to expand availability, through measures including patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Function
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.
Patients typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Studies suggests people may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the medication, as their normal food cravings come back.
To be carrying excess weight increases your risk for contracting medical conditions, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
