Less than a tenth of patients that would benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it issues its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
With over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to widespread availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even under the current most favorable case, the production of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to widen availability, via measures including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
The injections mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so people eat less.
Individuals usually see weight reduction after several weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies suggests patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of discontinuing the drug, when their normal hunger return.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your risk for developing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
