Under a tenth of patients that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it releases its initial recommendations on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on projections, over two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to widespread access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even under the current most optimistic case, the supply of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to widen access, through approaches including licensing agreements.
A patent on semaglutide – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Work
The injections imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase satiety so people eat less.
Patients usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to patients may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the medication, as their normal appetite come back.
To be carrying excess weight raises your chance for contracting diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity affects people in every country and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
