Fewer than 10% of people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its first advice on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and ongoing treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to widespread access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the current best projected scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to increase availability, by strategies like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Work
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and increase satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
People commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Studies points to users may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the treatment, because their typical appetite return.
Being overweight or obese raises your likelihood for developing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
