Less than one in 10 individuals that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it publishes its initial guidance on the drugs.
With over a billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Based on forecasts, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and ongoing support," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to universal access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, explains the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the present most favorable case, the manufacturing of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The advice urges nations and manufacturers to widen availability, via measures such as licensing agreements.
A patent on the active ingredient – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
People usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research suggests patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the treatment, when their typical food cravings return.
Being overweight or obese increases your likelihood for contracting diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
