Fewer than one in 10 patients who could benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, caution the global health agency as it issues its first recommendations on the medications.
With over a billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to universal access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the present most favorable outlook, the production of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The advice calls on governments and firms to expand availability, by measures like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
The injections replicate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
People typically see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests people may put most of the weight back on within a year of discontinuing the treatment, when their normal hunger return.
Being carrying excess weight increases your chance for experiencing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
