Less than a tenth of patients that would benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its initial recommendations on the therapies.
Considering over a billion people worldwide now obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and ongoing care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to widespread access to the treatments that can help people shift significant body mass, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the current most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to widen access, through approaches including voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence indicates people may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the treatment, when their usual food cravings come back.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your risk for experiencing diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
