Fewer than one in 10 people who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Per projections, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to broad availability to the treatments that can help people shift substantial weight, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the current best projected scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to expand availability, via strategies including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Work
These medications replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
People usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Research indicates users may regain a significant portion after a year of discontinuing the drug, when their usual hunger resume.
To be overweight or obese increases your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
