Fewer than one in 10 individuals who could benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it publishes its first guidance on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to widespread access to the injections that can help people shift considerable body mass, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the present best projected case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The advice calls on governments and firms to widen access, through approaches like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
The injections imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research indicates users may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the treatment, when their normal food cravings come back.
To be overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
