Under 10% of people who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, over two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to widespread access to the treatments that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the present most optimistic outlook, the supply of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The advice calls on countries and companies to increase access, through approaches including patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
Individuals usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence indicates people may regain a significant portion a year later of halting the drug, when their usual food cravings come back.
To be overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
