Less than 10% of people that would benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its initial recommendations on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, over two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and continuous care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to universal access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the present best projected outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to widen access, through strategies like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Function
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
Patients typically start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research suggests patients may see weight return after a year of stopping the medication, as their typical hunger resume.
Being carrying excess weight raises your risk for experiencing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
