Fewer than one in 10 individuals that would benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it publishes its initial recommendations on the drugs.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key barriers to broad access to the jabs that can help people shift significant body mass, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the current most optimistic case, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to increase availability, via measures such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
Patients usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence points to patients may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the drug, when their normal hunger return.
To be above a healthy weight increases your risk for developing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
