Under a tenth of people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it releases its initial recommendations on the medications.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to broad availability to the jabs that can help people shift considerable weight, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the present most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to widen availability, through approaches such as voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
These medications imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so people eat less.
People commonly see weight reduction after several weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies suggests patients may see weight return after a year of stopping the medication, as their typical food cravings come back.
Being above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for developing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
