Fewer than one in 10 people that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it releases its initial recommendations on the therapies.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and continuous support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to broad access to the treatments that can help people shift substantial body mass, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even under the present most favorable case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The advice urges countries and companies to increase access, through strategies including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests users may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the medication, as their typical food cravings return.
Being carrying excess weight increases your risk for experiencing diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity affects people in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
