Under a tenth of people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it issues its inaugural guidance on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and lifelong treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to broad availability to the treatments that can help people shift substantial body mass, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the present best projected scenario, the production of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to increase availability, through measures like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Work
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
People typically see weight reduction after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence suggests users may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the drug, because their typical food cravings resume.
To be carrying excess weight raises your likelihood for developing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in all nations and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
