Under 10% of individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it issues its initial advice on the medications.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to estimates, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong support," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to widespread access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, explains the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even in the current most optimistic scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The advice urges nations and manufacturers to increase availability, via approaches including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Work
These medications imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so people eat less.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests users may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the treatment, as their usual food cravings return.
To be overweight or obese increases your chance for developing health problems, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
