Fewer than a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it releases its inaugural guidance on the medications.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently obese, it is urging increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to estimates, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to universal availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, explains the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the current most favorable scenario, the supply of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to expand availability, through measures such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
These medications replicate a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost satiety so people eat less.
Patients commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research points to users may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the medication, because their usual appetite return.
Being above a healthy weight raises your chance for experiencing health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
