Under 10% of people that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, states the World Health Organization as it releases its initial guidance on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to broad access to the injections that can help people shift substantial body mass, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the present best projected scenario, the supply of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The advice encourages countries and companies to widen availability, via strategies including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
These medications replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
Patients typically start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence suggests users may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the drug, because their normal hunger return.
Being overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for developing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
