Less than 10% of people that would benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it issues its initial recommendations on the therapies.
Given over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to universal access to the treatments that can help people shift considerable weight, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the current most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to expand availability, through approaches including patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
People usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests people may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the treatment, because their usual appetite come back.
Being carrying excess weight raises your likelihood for developing health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
