Under a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it issues its initial recommendations on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key barriers to broad access to the treatments that can help people shift significant weight, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the present best projected outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to expand access, via strategies such as patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Work
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so people eat less.
People typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests patients may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the medication, when their typical appetite come back.
Being overweight or obese increases your chance for developing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
