Under a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it issues its first guidance on the medications.
With over a billion people worldwide now obese, it is advocating for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on projections, over two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to broad availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the present most optimistic scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The recommendation urges countries and companies to widen access, by measures including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Work
These medications imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so users reduce food intake.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research suggests people may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the medication, when their typical appetite resume.
To be overweight or obese raises your chance for developing medical conditions, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
