Less than one in 10 patients that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it publishes its initial advice on the medications.
Given more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and continuous care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to broad access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the current best projected case, the supply of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The advice urges countries and companies to expand availability, through measures including licensing agreements.
A patent on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.
People usually see weight reduction after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the medication, when their typical hunger return.
Being overweight or obese raises your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in every country and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
