Under a tenth of patients that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it publishes its first advice on the therapies.
Considering over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major barriers to universal availability to the treatments that can help people shift considerable weight, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the present best projected outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The advice calls on countries and companies to expand availability, by approaches like voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Function
These medications mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and enhance satiety so individuals eat less.
Patients commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to patients may see weight return within a year of stopping the medication, because their normal food cravings come back.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your chance for developing health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
