Fewer than one in 10 patients who could benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and continuous support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to universal access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, explains the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the current best projected case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to widen availability, through approaches such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Function
The injections imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase satiety so individuals eat less.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests users may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the medication, as their typical hunger return.
Being carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for developing diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity impacts people in countries worldwide and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
