Under one in 10 people who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it publishes its initial recommendations on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and ongoing support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to broad access to the injections that can help people shift substantial weight, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even under the present most optimistic case, the production of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The advice encourages countries and companies to widen access, by strategies such as patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Function
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so individuals reduce food intake.
People typically see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests users may see weight return within a year of halting the medication, as their usual hunger resume.
To be carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
