Less than one in 10 individuals that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it issues its initial advice on the therapies.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
According to estimates, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and lifelong treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to widespread access to the treatments that can help people shift considerable weight, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the present most optimistic scenario, the supply of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline urges countries and companies to widen access, by measures including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
These medications mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals typically start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests users may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the medication, when their normal food cravings return.
Being carrying excess weight raises your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
