Less than a tenth of people that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it publishes its first guidance on the therapies.
Given more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and lifelong treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to universal availability to the jabs that can help people shift considerable body mass, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the current most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to widen access, via measures like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so users eat less.
Patients typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests users may see weight return a year later of stopping the drug, as their usual hunger resume.
Being carrying excess weight raises your risk for experiencing diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
