Fewer than 10% of people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it releases its initial guidance on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and continuous support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key barriers to broad availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Despite the present most favorable scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The advice urges governments and firms to increase availability, by strategies including licensing agreements.
A patent on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Operate
The injections replicate a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase satiety so people consume fewer calories.
People typically see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies points to people may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the drug, because their typical appetite come back.
Being carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for developing medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in every country and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
