Under 10% of individuals that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it releases its inaugural advice on the medications.
With over a billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, over two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and continuous care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to widespread availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the current most optimistic scenario, the supply of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to increase availability, through approaches such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
These medications mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance satiety so people eat less.
Patients commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies points to users may see weight return within a year of stopping the medication, because their usual hunger resume.
To be overweight or obese increases your likelihood for contracting health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in all nations and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
