Fewer than a tenth of individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its first recommendations on the therapies.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to universal availability to the injections that can help people shift considerable weight, explains the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the present most favorable case, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to expand access, via measures including patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Operate
These medications imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests people may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the drug, when their normal appetite resume.
Being above a healthy weight raises your risk for experiencing medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
