Fewer than 10% of people that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it releases its first recommendations on the therapies.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and lifelong support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to broad availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the present most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to widen availability, via approaches such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
Patients typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research points to users may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the medication, because their typical appetite come back.
Being overweight or obese increases your likelihood for developing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
