Under 10% of people who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its initial advice on the medications.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Based on estimates, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to broad availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even under the current most optimistic case, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to widen availability, through strategies including licensing agreements.
A patent on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
The injections replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.
People typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to users may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the drug, when their typical food cravings return.
Being above a healthy weight raises your chance for contracting health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
