Fewer than 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it publishes its first guidance on the medications.
With more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
According to forecasts, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidelines affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and ongoing support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to broad access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the present most optimistic outlook, the supply of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to increase availability, by approaches including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so people reduce food intake.
People typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence indicates patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the drug, because their typical appetite resume.
Being overweight or obese raises your risk for contracting health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity affects people in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
