Fewer than a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it issues its initial recommendations on the therapies.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to universal access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the present best projected case, the supply of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The guideline urges countries and companies to widen access, by measures like voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so users eat less.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence points to people may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the treatment, when their normal food cravings return.
Being above a healthy weight raises your chance for contracting diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
