Fewer than a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it issues its first guidance on the drugs.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and lifelong care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to universal access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the present most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The advice encourages governments and firms to expand availability, through strategies like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so users eat less.
People commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence indicates patients may see weight return within a year of halting the drug, as their typical food cravings come back.
To be carrying excess weight raises your likelihood for experiencing health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
