Less than 10% of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it issues its initial guidance on the therapies.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Per projections, over two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and continuous care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to broad access to the treatments that can help people shift substantial weight, explains the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even in the current best projected scenario, the supply of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline urges countries and companies to expand access, via approaches like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost satiety so users reduce food intake.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies indicates patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the medication, as their normal hunger resume.
Being overweight or obese increases your likelihood for contracting diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
