Under a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it publishes its initial recommendations on the medications.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to widespread availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the present most optimistic scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to increase access, by strategies like licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so users eat less.
Individuals commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests people may regain a significant portion within a year of stopping the treatment, when their usual food cravings resume.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your risk for contracting diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
