Under a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it releases its inaugural advice on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Per forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and ongoing support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to broad access to the jabs that can help people shift substantial body mass, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the current best projected scenario, the production of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The advice urges governments and firms to increase access, through approaches like licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals typically start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to people may see weight return after a year of halting the medication, because their normal hunger come back.
Being carrying excess weight raises your chance for experiencing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
