Less than 10% of people that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it issues its first guidance on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and continuous treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are major barriers to universal access to the treatments that can help people shift substantial weight, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the present most favorable scenario, the supply of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The guideline urges countries and companies to expand access, via approaches including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
People commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to users may see weight return a year later of halting the drug, because their typical appetite come back.
Being carrying excess weight raises your risk for developing health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
