Under a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it releases its first advice on the medications.
With more than one billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to universal availability to the jabs that can help people shift significant weight, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even under the current most optimistic case, the manufacturing of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The advice calls on governments and firms to expand availability, via approaches including patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Function
These medications mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
People usually start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates patients may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the treatment, because their typical food cravings resume.
Being overweight or obese increases your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in every country and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
