Fewer than 10% of people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it publishes its first recommendations on the therapies.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to widespread access to the treatments that can help people shift significant body mass, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the current most favorable outlook, the production of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The recommendation urges countries and companies to increase availability, through strategies like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests people may see weight return after a year of halting the medication, when their normal appetite come back.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for contracting health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in all nations and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
