Fewer than 10% of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it releases its initial guidance on the drugs.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to broad access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even in the current most optimistic case, the production of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation urges nations and manufacturers to increase availability, by approaches including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Function
The injections imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase satiety so individuals eat less.
People usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests users may see weight return within a year of halting the medication, as their normal food cravings resume.
Being overweight or obese elevates your risk for developing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in every country and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
