Under a tenth of people who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it releases its first advice on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, over two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key barriers to widespread access to the jabs that can help people shift considerable weight, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the current most optimistic case, the production of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to increase availability, via approaches including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Work
The injections imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so users reduce food intake.
People commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests people may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the medication, when their typical food cravings return.
To be overweight or obese raises your chance for experiencing health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity impacts people in every country and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
