Less than a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it issues its first guidance on the therapies.
Given more than one billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and continuous support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to widespread availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the current most favorable scenario, the production of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to expand availability, through measures including voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so users eat less.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence indicates patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the treatment, when their usual hunger come back.
To be carrying excess weight raises your chance for contracting medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
