Less than 10% of individuals that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, caution the global health agency as it releases its initial guidance on the drugs.
With over a billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to widespread availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Despite the current best projected outlook, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to increase availability, by strategies such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
People usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Research suggests patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the medication, because their normal appetite come back.
Being above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for contracting health problems, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity affects people in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
