Less than one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it releases its initial advice on the medications.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and lifelong treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are major barriers to universal access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the current best projected case, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to increase availability, through strategies such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase satiety so people eat less.
People commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Research suggests users may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the drug, as their typical hunger resume.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your chance for contracting diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
