Under 10% of people that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural advice on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, over two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and continuous support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to widespread access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the current most favorable scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The advice calls on countries and companies to widen availability, through strategies like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
These medications replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance satiety so individuals eat less.
People usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Research suggests users may see weight return a year later of halting the treatment, when their normal hunger return.
To be overweight or obese elevates your risk for developing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
