Under one in 10 patients that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it issues its initial recommendations on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and lifelong care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to universal access to the treatments that can help people shift substantial weight, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the current best projected scenario, the supply of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to widen access, by measures including licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Work
The injections imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so users eat less.
People typically begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies points to people may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the treatment, because their normal food cravings return.
To be above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for contracting diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
