Less than one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it publishes its first advice on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to widespread access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the present best projected scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to widen access, via measures such as patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Research points to users may regain a significant portion within a year of stopping the medication, as their normal food cravings return.
Being overweight or obese increases your chance for experiencing medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.