Under one in 10 patients who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it publishes its first recommendations on the drugs.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is urging increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
Per projections, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to broad access to the treatments that can help people shift significant weight, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the present most optimistic scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to widen availability, by measures such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research suggests users may regain a significant portion after a year of discontinuing the medication, as their typical hunger come back.
To be above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for developing medical conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity impacts people in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
