Less than one in 10 patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it publishes its first advice on the drugs.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with thorough and ongoing support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to broad access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, says the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the present most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The advice urges nations and manufacturers to widen availability, via strategies including voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so people eat less.
Patients typically start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates patients may regain a significant portion after a year of stopping the treatment, because their typical hunger come back.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for developing diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
