Under 10% of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it issues its initial recommendations on the drugs.
Given more than one billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and continuous support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant hurdles to broad access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, says the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even in the present best projected outlook, the production of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The guideline urges countries and companies to increase availability, via measures including licensing agreements.
A patent on semaglutide – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Function
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
Individuals usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates patients may regain a significant portion within a year of stopping the drug, because their normal food cravings come back.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your risk for contracting health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity affects people in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
