Fewer than 10% of people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it publishes its initial recommendations on the drugs.
With over a billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major barriers to universal access to the jabs that can help people shift substantial weight, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the current best projected case, the supply of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to widen availability, via measures such as patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
These medications replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Studies suggests users may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the medication, when their typical food cravings return.
To be carrying excess weight increases your chance for developing diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity concerns people in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
