Less than one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it issues its first recommendations on the drugs.
With more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
According to projections, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and ongoing treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to widespread access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the present best projected scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The guideline urges governments and firms to expand availability, via measures like patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so users reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Studies indicates patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the drug, as their typical food cravings come back.
To be carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for experiencing health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity affects people in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
