Fewer than one in 10 individuals that would benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its first advice on the therapies.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing support," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are major barriers to broad access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, says the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even in the current most favorable case, the supply of these medications might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to widen access, via measures like voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Operate
These medications imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so people eat less.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the drug, because their normal appetite resume.
Being above a healthy weight raises your risk for developing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in every country and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
