Less than 10% of people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it releases its first recommendations on the medications.
With more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and ongoing support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to widespread access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the current most favorable case, the production of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to widen access, via measures such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Work
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests patients may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the medication, as their normal food cravings resume.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for developing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
