Fewer than a tenth of people who could benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it issues its first guidance on the medications.
With over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and ongoing support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to widespread access to the injections that can help people shift significant weight, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the current most favorable case, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to expand access, via approaches including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost satiety so people eat less.
People usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of discontinuing the medication, because their normal appetite return.
To be overweight or obese raises your chance for contracting health problems, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity affects people in all nations and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
