Fewer than one in 10 individuals that would benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it publishes its first advice on the medications.
With more than one billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to universal availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the present most optimistic scenario, the supply of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to expand availability, by approaches including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Operate
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost satiety so people reduce food intake.
People typically see weight reduction after several weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Research suggests patients may see weight return after a year of halting the medication, as their usual appetite resume.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your risk for contracting medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects people in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
