Under 10% of people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it releases its inaugural guidance on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and continuous support," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to widespread access to the injections that can help people shift substantial weight, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even in the current best projected outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to expand availability, via measures like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates patients may regain a significant portion within a year of stopping the treatment, because their normal appetite come back.
Being overweight or obese raises your chance for developing health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in every country and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
