Less than a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it issues its first advice on the drugs.
Given more than one billion people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on projections, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and lifelong treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are significant obstacles to widespread access to the injections that can help people shift substantial body mass, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the current best projected scenario, the supply of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to increase access, by measures like licensing agreements.
A patent on semaglutide – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Work
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost satiety so people eat less.
People typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research points to people may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the medication, as their normal food cravings resume.
Being carrying excess weight raises your chance for experiencing medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
