Less than a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it releases its first recommendations on the drugs.
With over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major barriers to broad availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, says the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the current most optimistic outlook, the supply of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to increase availability, through strategies including voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to patients may regain a significant portion a year later of halting the medication, because their normal hunger return.
Being carrying excess weight raises your chance for developing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
