Fewer than one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it publishes its initial advice on the drugs.
Given over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to universal access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the present most optimistic case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to increase access, via strategies like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Research points to users may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the treatment, because their usual food cravings resume.
Being above a healthy weight increases your risk for contracting medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
