Fewer than one in 10 individuals that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it publishes its initial guidance on the therapies.
With over a billion people worldwide now obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to estimates, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to universal availability to the jabs that can help people shift substantial body mass, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the present most favorable case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to increase access, by approaches including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people eat less.
People usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research points to people may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the drug, because their typical appetite return.
To be overweight or obese increases your risk for developing diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
