Under a tenth of patients who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it issues its inaugural guidance on the medications.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and lifelong support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to broad availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the current most optimistic case, the production of these medications might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The guideline urges governments and firms to widen access, through measures including patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to users may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the medication, as their usual appetite return.
To be carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity affects people in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
