Fewer than one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.
With more than one billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
According to estimates, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and continuous support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to broad access to the injections that can help people shift substantial body mass, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the present most favorable outlook, the production of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to expand availability, through approaches including patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so users reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates users may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the drug, when their usual appetite come back.
To be above a healthy weight raises your risk for developing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity concerns people in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
