Less than a tenth of patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it publishes its initial guidance on the drugs.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to universal availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the present best projected scenario, the supply of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to widen access, through approaches including voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence indicates people may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the medication, when their usual appetite resume.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your chance for experiencing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity impacts people in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
