Under a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial guidance on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant obstacles to universal access to the injections that can help people shift substantial weight, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the present most optimistic scenario, the production of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to widen access, through approaches like licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the main component of a leading brand – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Patients typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to patients may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the treatment, as their typical appetite return.
To be above a healthy weight raises your chance for developing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
