Fewer than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it publishes its initial recommendations on the therapies.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and lifelong support," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to widespread access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even under the present most favorable case, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to widen access, via measures including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
These medications imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so users eat less.
People typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies points to people may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the drug, as their normal food cravings come back.
To be above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
