Under 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the medications.
With over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with thorough and ongoing treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to universal availability to the jabs that can help people shift considerable body mass, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the present most optimistic case, the supply of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to widen availability, by measures like voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
People usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Studies indicates users may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the medication, as their usual hunger come back.
To be overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
