Fewer than 10% of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it publishes its first advice on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and continuous support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to broad access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even in the current most optimistic scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to widen availability, by measures including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
These medications mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
People typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Studies points to users may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the medication, because their typical appetite resume.
To be overweight or obese elevates your risk for developing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
