Under one in 10 individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and lifelong treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to universal availability to the jabs that can help people shift substantial body mass, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the present best projected outlook, the production of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The guideline urges countries and companies to increase access, through measures such as patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Operate
These medications imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so people eat less.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Studies indicates people may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the medication, because their usual food cravings return.
Being above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for experiencing health problems, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity concerns people in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
