Fewer than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it publishes its initial recommendations on the medications.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and continuous care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to universal availability to the treatments that can help people shift significant weight, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the present most favorable outlook, the production of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The advice urges governments and firms to widen availability, via measures such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so individuals reduce food intake.
People commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies points to people may regain a significant portion after a year of stopping the drug, when their usual appetite come back.
To be carrying excess weight raises your risk for experiencing medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
