Under 10% of people who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it issues its initial advice on the therapies.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and continuous treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to universal availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the current most optimistic outlook, the production of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The recommendation urges nations and manufacturers to widen access, through strategies such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Function
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates patients may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the drug, because their typical food cravings resume.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your risk for contracting diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
