Less than a tenth of people that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it releases its initial guidance on the drugs.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to widespread availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the current most optimistic case, the manufacturing of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to widen availability, through measures such as licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the core component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so users eat less.
Individuals commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to users may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the medication, when their normal food cravings resume.
Being overweight or obese increases your chance for developing medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects people in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
