Under a tenth of patients who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it releases its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
Considering over a billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and continuous support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to widespread availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even in the present most optimistic scenario, the production of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to widen availability, by measures including voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the main component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Function
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness so people eat less.
People typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the drug, when their usual appetite return.
To be above a healthy weight increases your chance for contracting health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
