Fewer than one in 10 individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it issues its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Based on estimates, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to universal access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the present most favorable scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to widen access, by measures like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
The injections imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests users may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the medication, as their normal appetite resume.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for contracting diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
