Under 10% of people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it releases its initial guidance on the drugs.
Given over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and ongoing support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to widespread availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even under the present most favorable case, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The advice encourages governments and firms to expand availability, via approaches such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research points to users may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the drug, because their normal hunger resume.
Being carrying excess weight increases your chance for developing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
