Less than one in 10 patients who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial recommendations on the therapies.
With over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and continuous support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to widespread access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the current most favorable scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to expand availability, through strategies such as licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the main component of a leading brand – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Function
The injections imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
People usually see weight reduction after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies points to people may see weight return after a year of halting the drug, when their usual food cravings resume.
To be overweight or obese raises your likelihood for contracting health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
