Under a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it issues its first advice on the drugs.
With over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to broad access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the current most favorable case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The advice urges governments and firms to expand access, through approaches including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Function
These medications mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
People typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Studies points to patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the treatment, when their typical appetite come back.
Being above a healthy weight raises your risk for contracting diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
