Under 10% of people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it releases its initial recommendations on the medications.
With over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and continuous treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to widespread access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the current most optimistic case, the supply of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to widen availability, via approaches such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Work
These medications imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Research points to users may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the drug, as their usual appetite return.
To be carrying excess weight increases your chance for developing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
