Fewer than 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it publishes its inaugural advice on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the present most favorable outlook, the supply of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The guideline urges governments and firms to widen access, by measures including patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
These medications mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
Individuals typically start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence points to patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the medication, as their usual appetite return.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your risk for developing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
