Under one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it issues its inaugural guidance on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, over two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and continuous treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to universal access to the jabs that can help people shift substantial weight, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the present most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The advice urges countries and companies to widen availability, through approaches including patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
People typically see weight reduction after several weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to people may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the drug, because their usual appetite return.
To be overweight or obese elevates your risk for experiencing health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
