Fewer than a tenth of people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it releases its initial advice on the therapies.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and lifelong care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to widespread availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the current most optimistic scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation urges countries and companies to expand access, through approaches including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
These medications replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so users eat less.
Patients typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates patients may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the medication, because their typical food cravings come back.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your chance for contracting diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
