Fewer than a tenth of patients who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its initial guidance on the therapies.
Given over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, over two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and ongoing treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to universal access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the current best projected case, the manufacturing of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to expand availability, through measures including voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Operate
These medications replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so users reduce food intake.
People typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to patients may regain a significant portion within a year of stopping the drug, as their typical appetite come back.
Being above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for developing health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
