Under 10% of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it releases its initial advice on the therapies.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to universal access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even in the current most favorable case, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The advice encourages countries and companies to expand availability, via approaches like licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Research points to users may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the treatment, when their normal food cravings return.
Being carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
