Less than one in 10 people who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its first recommendations on the medications.
Given more than one billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
According to forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to broad access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the current most favorable case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The guideline urges governments and firms to widen access, by strategies including licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Function
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so users eat less.
People usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates people may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the medication, when their typical appetite resume.
To be overweight or obese raises your likelihood for experiencing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
