Less than one in 10 patients that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it issues its first guidance on the therapies.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to broad access to the injections that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the current best projected case, the supply of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The guideline urges countries and companies to expand access, via measures like licensing agreements.
A patent on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase satiety so users reduce food intake.
Individuals usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates users may see weight return after a year of stopping the drug, when their typical food cravings return.
Being above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for contracting diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity impacts people in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
