Fewer than a tenth of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it issues its first recommendations on the therapies.
With over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and ongoing support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to universal availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Despite the current most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The advice urges nations and manufacturers to expand access, via strategies like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so people eat less.
Individuals typically start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests people may see weight return after a year of halting the treatment, because their normal hunger return.
To be overweight or obese increases your chance for contracting health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
