Less than 10% of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it issues its first recommendations on the therapies.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to broad availability to the jabs that can help people shift considerable body mass, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even in the current most favorable outlook, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The advice encourages countries and companies to expand access, via approaches including patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Operate
The injections imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
People usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence suggests people may see weight return within a year of halting the medication, when their typical hunger return.
To be carrying excess weight raises your chance for experiencing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
